Just soaking up the history of the Boston Celtics has been the best thing that's happened to me as a player.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played, the teamwork, the sacrifice, the commitment, the joy, the camaraderie, the relationship with the fans.
Boston is a very proud franchise. The NBA misses them when they are not in the mix. They, along with teams like the Knicks and 76ers are a big part of the heart, soul and history of the league.
Our favorite teams bring people together, keep family members close, bond people from different generations. Some of the happiest moments of my life involve something that happened with one of my teams. Some of the best relationships I ever had were with Boston athletes that I never even met.
This is a polarizing statement, as I have come to discover, but I am a Pats, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan from birth until death.
I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
In college, I probably lost a total of about 11 games, and then I came to the Celtics and in my first three weeks we went on a nine-game losing streak.
It was difficult being a neutral broadcaster - in the people's eyes - because of my association with the Celtics.
I love team environments, like the Celtics, the Bruins. I love going into the locker room and meeting these guys.
I am a huge Pistons fan. Those were some of my best times in college, watching the Detroit Pistons.
My most memorable moment came in 1985 as we beat the Boston Celtics.