Wyc Grousbeck: ‘Next six years a real opportunity’ to win titles originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics are all-in, and that isn’t changing any time soon.
On Wednesday, the team officially welcomed Jrue Holiday to Boston and held the veteran guard’s introductory press conference. Holiday spoke to reporters alongside C’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca.
With the Celtics now listed as co-favorites with the Milwaukee Bucks to win the 2024 NBA championship, Grousbeck was asked whether the upcoming season is the biggest since the “Big Three” of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce was assembled in 2008. His answer should get C’s fans excited about the future.
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“I look at the next six years as a real opportunity for us,” Grousbeck answered. “And that’s not to take anything away from this year, but we’re gonna keep doing this until we uncover that banner, until we print something on that, or we’re going to die trying. That was the first quote 20 years ago when we came in, ‘We’re going to win Banner 17, or I’m going to die trying.’ And we’re going for Banner 18 now. We’re going to keep going.
“That would be nice if it were this year. We have the makings this year, but so do a bunch of other teams. So it’s all about how connected can they be? How lucky can we be with injuries? How can the ball bounce just right? But we’re giving it everything we’ve got, and I’m thrilled Jrue is here as a Celtic. It’s been a long-time goal and it just feels absolutely great right now.”
With Holiday joining the fold, the Celtics have arguably the best roster in the NBA. The five-time All-Defense selection is the ideal replacement for longtime C’s guard Marcus Smart, who was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in the blockbuster three-way deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.
The next step is finding a way to keep Holiday around for at least a chunk of that six-year window. The 33-year-old has a $39.4 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign and is scheduled to hit free agency the following summer. Stevens wasn’t shy about his desire to sign the two-time All-Star to a long-term deal.
The Celtics’ quest for Banner 18 begins this Sunday when they open their preseason against the Philadelphia 76ers. Their regular-season opener is set for Oct. 25 against the New York Knicks.
You can watch Holiday’s full introductory press conference below:
