Oshae Brissett’s grandmother cooked a postgame dinner for the Celtics
Toronto native Oshae Brissett enlisted the help of his grandmother to provide a postgame meal after Boston's 8th straight win against the Raptors.
Winner, winner Jamaican jerk chicken dinner.
Following their 105-96 win against the Toronto Raptors Monday night, the Celtics were rewarded with a rare road luxury – a home-cooked meal.
According to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, the dinner, cooked by Oshae Brissett’s grandmother, sent a swell of silence over the typically celebratory Celtics locker room.
Postgame locker room meals are customary for traveling NBA teams, usually provided by local restaurants or catering services. After acquiring Brissett in July, however, both away games in Toronto have concluded with a home-cooked meal from his grandmother.
In November, after the first postgame meal by “Chef Brissett,” the small forward said he was eager to have a familiar meal during the short trip to his hometown.
“I’m always looking for home-cooked meals,” Brissett said. “And that’s how my grandmother gets down, really. Any family event, she’s the one who coordinates the food. I just told her we need a whole bunch, and she knows that we’re all athletes so we need a lot, especially after a game.”
Brissett, who is of Jamaican descent, caused a food envy frenzy as photos of the meal circulated around his social media. Traditional jerk chicken, rice, and beans were just some of the mouth-watering dishes prepared.
And from the looks of things, it sounds like Grandma Brissett’s catering was a smashing success. After that first meal in November, Brissett said the team couldn’t wait to return for Granny’s cooking this month.
“Oh, the guys loved it,” Brissett said. “They’re ready to come back in January.”
Following eight straight wins against Toronto, Monday night’s game marked the last time in the regular season that the Celtics would face off against the Raptors. And while Brissett won’t be returning to his hometown for his grandmother’s cooking anytime soon, he has a promising season ahead of him.
Since December, Brissett – who signed a two-year deal with the Celtics in July – has solidified himself as a key rotational player. After getting off to a rocky start at the beginning of the season, particularly from behind the arc, he’s changed his tune.
While Brissett is only averaging 4 points and 3 rebounds, he’s found ways to contribute to winning with hustle, offensive rebounding, and overall energy on the court. He’s already averaging more minutes in January (13) than he did in all of December (11.2) or November (10.8), a sign that he’s growing into his spot on the team.
A spot, moreover, that remains highly coveted. When Brissett was signed during the offseason, he was touted to be the favored big coming off the bench. But Luke Kornet secured that spot early in the season, leaving less time for the new forward to show his skills during games.
And game time is where Brissett truly shines. Calm and collected, yet locked-in and quick, it doesn’t matter that he’s only played 282 minutes this season. Jaylen Brown recognized both the physical and mental fortitude that type of play requires, as reported by Jared Weiss from The Athletic.
“It’s tough to do, to not know if you’re gonna play or not or whatever, but to come in and just affect the game and dominate the game and control what you can,” Brown said. “Oshae, I feel like anytime he’s stepped into the role and played, he’s contributed, being dynamite on the glass, being athletic, making plays, keeping plays alive. That goes a long way with a team like us.”
With Brown sitting out of Monday night’s game against the Raptors, the Celtics’ bench remains a critical part of their regular season success. Boston is currently leading the league with a 31-9 record, the second-best season start in franchise history.
The Celtics face off against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night at home as they look to continue their franchise-leading home record to 20.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com