Following the Boston Celtics’ dominant run through the 2023-24 season—capped off by a championship—the Eastern Conference took notice. Boston is bringing back a nearly identical team heading into next year, but the rest of the East made a ton of moves to improve. From the New York Knicks trading for Karl-Anthony Towns to the Philadelphia 76ers signing Paul George, the conference looks a lot different.
The Celtics have put themselves in a great spot, but nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. Everyone around the league, especially in the East, will be gunning for them as they look to become the first back-to-back champions since the Golden State Warriors.
But Erik Spoelstra isn’t moved.
Erik Spoelstra isn't scared of the East, and neither are the Celtics
During Miami Heat Media Day, Spoelstra was asked about the moves that teams around the East have made. His response to the reporter?
“You sound scared.”
The comment was met by a laugh from the room, but Spoelstra went on to explain his thought process, and it was everything a team should want to hear from their coach.
“You have to be about it. And our guys are about it,” Spoelstra said. “They’ve done everything that I’ve asked them to do this offseason, from our season-ending meeting, where it was raw how we were ousted by Boston, that left a feeling, and every single one of us in the locker room.
“Anybody that’s new, which we’re excited about, the new players and talent, particularly young talent, that we’ve added to the locker room, they’ve inherited all of those feelings. So, we had very specific intentions of what our offseason would look like. Ultimately, you have to be about that competition.”
Erik Spoelstra when asked about the East getting stronger. Talks about embracing the competition and how the Celtics took it last season.
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) September 30, 2024
“You sound scared. You have to be about it…” #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/kJTfvgwepE
Spoelstra couldn’t have explained the concept any better. If a team is scared, they won’t win in the NBA. That’s the exact mindset that has allowed the Heat to overachieve year in and year out. And it’s exactly how the Celtics should, and do, feel heading into next year.
Joe Mazzulla has prepared them with the perfect mentality, and Spoelstra’s inquisitive, ‘You sound scared,’ represents that to a tee.
Boston shouldn’t be looking to defend their title. They should be looking to win a new one. Everything that happened last year is in the past. A new NBA season has begun.
Towns is in New York. George is in Philadelphia. The Milwaukee Bucks added pieces. The Orlando Magic added pieces. Teams are improving internally. But none of that matters.
Internal focus and development has always been at the forefront of Mazzulla’s ideologies, and that won’t stop now. Clearly, Spoelstra feels the same way.