The secret to the Celtics’ Summer League success is one lifelong Celtics fan

LAS VEGAS – Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez was within the midst of a irritating sport, crammed with missed free throws, out-of-character turnovers, and premature fouls.

So, Celtics Summer season League head coach Matt Reynolds requested him a query:

“Are you having enjoyable?”

Gonzalez, the 19-year-old rookie who so far has spent his complete profession enjoying skilled basketball for Actual Madrid, was thrown off.

“[I was] like, ‘Yeah, I’m having enjoyable,’” Gonzalez recalled. “And [Reynolds was like], ‘I’m having a whole lot of enjoyable proper now.’”

The sunshine-hearted back-and-forth was meant to remind Gonzalez that when he’s having fun with himself, he’s a greater participant. That emphasis on pleasure served as slightly little bit of a tradition shock: “It’s actually, actually completely different from what I used to be used to,” he mentioned.

It’s not simply Gonzalez. Over the previous few weeks, practically everybody on the Celtics Summer season League roster has noticed the tradition Reynolds has instilled.

Baylor Scheierman, who’s in his second Summer season League with Boston, has routinely gushed in regards to the ambiance Reynolds has fostered en path to a 3-1 document, the Celtics’ finest July document in years.

“He’s simply carried out an awesome job of simply creating an atmosphere of pleasure,” Scheierman mentioned. “I actually take pleasure in having him as a coach.”

For Reynolds, the flexibility to deliver pleasure to each single apply and sport this summer time has come naturally.

In any case, he’s at present residing out a dream

The longtime Celtics assistant — who is usually tasked with in-game critiques and is one among Joe Mazzulla’s trusted confidants — grew up a large Celtics fan in Lexington, Massachusetts, who had hopes of at some point working in sports activities. He beloved Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and the vitality on the Backyard.

“I bear in mind the day I received the job, it was identical to a ‘pinch me’ second,” Reynolds mentioned. “And since then, each single day I get up so excited to come back right here.”

Over the previous 12 years with the Celtics, there have been moments when Reynolds merely couldn’t ignore his lifelong fandom. A kind of got here a number of years again, when fellow Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell introduced Paul Pierce to one among Jayson Tatum’s exercises.

“That was my favourite participant since he received drafted,” Reynold mentioned. “I can bear in mind the place I used to be for thus a lot of his iconic performances — the duel with Lebron, the game-winners towards the Warmth…”

In school, Reynolds was the crew supervisor of Syracuse’s males’s basketball crew. After graduating, he volunteered to educate boys basketball at Woburn Excessive College’s boys earlier than transient taking up transient stints helping the workers of groups at UNC Asheville and Jap Michigan College.

Then he received an internship that eternally modified his life’s trajectory.

In October 2013, the Celtics have been searching for a movie room intern who may full the straightforward however crucial activity of chopping up sport movie. Plans with the intern the crew initially employed for the place fell via, and time was of the essence.

Reynolds, who had no NBA movie room expertise, didn’t have a job. However his sister was pals with Brian Adams, who on the time was a video coordinator for the Celtics, and Miller put in a great phrase.

It labored.

“If the Celtics had extra time to rent for the place I ended up getting, I’d not have gotten employed,” Reynolds insists virtually 12 years later.

It looks as if he’s solely half-kidding.

However after he was chosen, Reynolds was dedicated to profiting from it, regardless that the internship centered round a activity that he quipped could possibly be completed by way of automated companies in the present day. Slowly, the Celtics’ assistant coaches trusted the then-24-year-old with extra duties and challenged him to not full duties mindlessly, however as a substitute, to essentially learn to watch NBA movie.

“The following factor you already know, I ended up doing opponent scouts,” Reynolds mentioned.

So, what precisely was liable for Reynold’s ascent?

A number of individuals across the Celtics group instructed me that — along with his tireless work ethic, excellent communication expertise, and jovial demeanor — the veteran Celtics assistant has a photographic reminiscence.

Reynolds opted to not use the phrase “photographic” once we spoke, however he did admit his reminiscence is a energy. I used to be capable of observe his excellent capacity to recall data first-hand, in awe as we watched him completely recite scrum solutions from days prior, in addition to particulars from an informal dialog we had greater than a yr in the past.

“I’ve a extremely good reminiscence,” Reynolds mentioned. “It’s one thing I delight myself in — whether or not it’s the NBA, motion film quotes, no matter it’s.”

That gave him a leg up within the movie room, the place he continued to tackle extra duties.

And, he continued to maneuver up.

Paradoxically, Reynold truly credit his capacity to reside within the second for serving to him rise the ranks.

“I appreciated the job I used to be doing, with out having an eye fixed in the direction of, ‘I would like to do that with the intention to increase my profile, or go to a special crew or no matter,’” Reynolds mentioned.

In 12 years, Reynolds has coached underneath three (very completely different) head coaches. The climb has been regular; he turned a video internship into an assistant video coordinator place, after which finally dropped the assistant title. In 2019, he was named a particular assistant to then-head coach Brad Stevens. For one season, he coached underneath Ime Udoka.

And, when most of Udoka’s assistants adopted him to the Houston Rockets, Reynolds stayed put, turning into one among Mazzulla’s lead assistants, a place he’s held for the previous three seasons.

As he’s risen via the teaching ranks, he hasn’t felt inhibited by his lack of earlier expertise enjoying aggressive basketball, as a result of he is aware of simply how ready he’s.

“Gamers respect if you already know what you’re speaking about, they usually’ll additionally respect if you already know you shoot it to them straight,” Reynolds mentioned. “[It’s about] honesty and preparation. If I don’t have a solution for one thing, I’ve to be humble sufficient to hunt a coach who I belief. However extra importantly, be ready — examine the opponent, in order that whenever you’re going to current to your gamers, you already know what you’re speaking about.”

Now, for the primary time, he’s the Celtics’ Summer season League head coach, and all of it nonetheless feels surreal

In the course of the Celtics’ championship season — a few yr and a half in the past — Mazzulla knowledgeable Reynolds he’d be the Summer season League head coach in 2025. And whereas he didn’t know who’d be on the roster or what sort of schemes the crew would prioritize, he began prepping then.

“You sort of must mentally put together for the in-game duties you’re gonna have,” Reynolds mentioned.

In Reynold’s debut sport as Summer season League head coach — a 92-78 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies — greater than twenty of his family and friends sat within the Las Vegas stands.

“It sort of turned a must-win sport,” he instructed me later within the week.

Reynolds, who as an assistant typicall has an iPad in his fingers on the bench, didn’t know what sort of a head coach he could be. He was shocked at simply how loud and communicative he was on the sidelines.

“I used to be yelling so much,” Reynolds mentioned. “I undoubtedly caught myself being like – I’m actually loud proper now… typically, that’s what the sport requires.”

The Cox Heart bleachers, inundated with these closest to him, served as a reminder of the lengthy however regular journey.

“Each Thanksgiving, we cheer to Brian Adams,” Reynolds mentioned in a nod to the mutual pal who helped him land the preliminary internship.

Lower than every week after his head teaching debut, his dad and mom sat courtside for the Celtics’ marquee sport towards the Los Angeles Lakers on the Thomas and Mack Heart, the marquee court docket of the Las Vegas Summer season League.

The 87-78 victory over the Celtics’ historic rival was notably significant.

“When my dad and mom instructed me they is likely to be popping out to the sport, I used to be like, ‘I’m not gonna stand in your manner,’” he mentioned afterward with a smile.

Having his dad and mom in Las Vegas is a full-circle second; Reynolds at all times instructed them he wished to work on this trade, however he didn’t essentially know what form that will take, by no means thoughts that he’d at some point be a lead coach for the Boston Celtics.

“I made it clear to them that going to all these video games was fairly clear – I wished to work in sports activities,” he mentioned. “They usually have been very useful alongside the best way and helped me make that come true.”

“I’m making an attempt to make them proud.”

Finally, Reynolds’ gratitude for the chance has rubbed off on his gamers

He knew he was going to take pleasure in each second in Vegas — and he was going to ensure each participant did as effectively.

So, he’s developed inside jokes and references with every participant on the roster. Scheierman mentioned he and Reynolds have bonded over their joint love for having enjoyable (Reynolds, in any case, is identical Celtics assistant who indulges in trick pictures with Derrick White at each apply and shootaround, no matter circumstance). In Las Vegas, he’s assigned films for various gamers on the crew to look at.

And rising third-year ahead Jordan Walsh, who has had a powerful Summer season League exhibiting for the Celtics, mentioned that Reynolds’ spirit has energized him. Walsh has recognized Reynolds as an assistant for the previous two years, however he’s taken discover of simply how elated he’s been at this Summer season League alternative.

“Often, he’s not a man who’s tremendous vocal, or tremendous yelling,” Walsh mentioned. “He’s normally the man behind the scenes. Seeing how comfortable he’s and excited he’s — he’s leaping round screaming. I’ve by no means heard him scream earlier than, and he’s leaping round and screaming. It lights a hearth underneath me personally.”

The 21-year-old has had his finest Summer season League but, averaging 15 factors on 46.3% taking pictures, alongside 38.9% from three.

The non-Boston Celtics members of the Summer season League roster really feel the identical: Reynold’s vitality has created buy-in. Gamers who’re combating for his or her NBA careers aren’t overly fearful about their particular person performances — as a substitute, they’re working collectively towards successful.

“When your coach is doing that, it’s straightforward for the gamers to need to try this,” mentioned Jalen Bridges, one among 8 gamers not at present slated to be on the Celtics roster subsequent season. “It’s contagious. That vitality spreads. You may inform that on the ground – we’re all enjoying for one another. We’re enjoying as arduous as we are able to. When your coach brings that vitality, it’s very easy to get your crew to play arduous.”

Reynolds has made certain his emphasis on human connection has prolonged to every man on the roster — not simply those at present underneath contract with the Celtics.

“I care about their expertise right here,” he mentioned. “I need to be sure that they’re having fun with themselves, even when they’re not enjoying.”

And, whereas his detail-oriented preparation and scouting received’t waiver, Reynolds received’t deny the enjoyment he’s felt this week in Las Vegas, nor his deep-rooted reference to the Celtics franchise — one which started many years in the past.

“I take a whole lot of delight in representing this group,” Reynolds mentioned. “The elements of this crew that we have to embody haven’t modified for the reason that Celtics have been based.”

By the top of our prolonged interview, once I requested Matt what the most effective a part of being an NBA coach was, I knew what his reply could be.

“It’s getting to educate for the Celtics,” he mentioned. “It’s been particular to work for this crew since I received right here. I don’t take a single day without any consideration.”