Boston Celtics
“This city, this franchise, this family. It’s different here.”
Isaiah Thomas in 2016 (Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff).
“Get knocked down, get back up. Get knocked down, get back up.”
This is the phrase that former Boston guard and fan-favorite Isaiah Thomas repeated in the Celtics’ preseason hype video released Tuesday.
The Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in their season opener Wednesday night, as they look to continue their 11-year playoff streak.
Thomas, who played in Boston from Feb. 2015 through 2017, is still loved in Boston. His most notable season came in 2016-17, when he averaged 28.9 points per game on his way to coming fifth in MVP voting.
The 36-year-old returned to provide energy and excitement in the video before the season got underway:
“The outside noise? The predictions? Go ahead and count us out. We’ve been there before,” Thomas said .
The predictions that Thomas referenced come after Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles in the playoffs last year, and many believed that he’d miss the whole 2025 season.
Tatum’s return is looking better than expected though, as he’s already posted videos dunking and saying there’s no certainty on whether he will or won’t play.
Thomas continues the video by emphasizing how important being gritty this season could be.
“There are no shortcuts, no days off. Every single night, lay it all on the line. Each and every time. That’s how we win.”
Behind these words are clips of current Celtics players like Jaylen Brown diving into the crowd to save a ball, the kind of scrappy plays that could be the difference for Boston this year.
“This city, this franchise, this family. It’s different here.”
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
