Celtics give intern one job on Draft Night: Tell us when to smile
COMMENTARY
Remember the 2014 NBA Draft, when the Sixers selected Kansas star Joel Embiid, the cameras cut to the center, and he looked like he wanted to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge?
Sure you do! But just in case…
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Most of us had some fun with Embiid’s expression on social media, me included.
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But, the Sixers stepped in to clarify what happened…
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…and so did Philadelphia’s newest resident.
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Perception versus reality.
Well, the C’s don’t want to get caught in any sort of misinterpreted disappointment during Thursday’s upcoming NBA Draft, so they’ve appointed someone specifically to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“We are kind of uncomfortable sometimes because we do have video cameras in the draft room now,’’ Austin Ainge, Boston’s director of player personnel, told me over the weekend. “The last couple years, we’ve had theses cameras in there, and all of us are scared that when our pick is made – because usually when the pick, when ESPN flashes to your war room, we made the pick minutes ago – it’s been done, and they all want us to clap and smile and celebrate. But we usually have already done that. So we’re all very nervous that we’ll be caught looking upset or bored, or we’re really mad that this guy wasn’t available or something. And that’s usually not the case. So we’ve assigned an intern this year, ‘Hey, you tell us when we’re on camera so we can all smile.’
“You can forget to look happy,’’ Ainge continued with a laugh.
We’ve all seen that straight-faced look on Danny Ainge’s face when he’s watching the Celts from the baseline, and coach Brad Stevens appears unflappable at all times.
I mean, check out what Stevens looked like when Jeff Green buried that 2013 buzzer-beater against the Heat.
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You think the guy is going to go crazy over adding Bobby Portis?
So, even if there weren’t a tape delay, it’s a wonder how raucous the celebration actually gets in the team’s war room after a pick in the first place. Either way, it’s nice having that extra little push.
And what a gig for the intern?!
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