Happy Earth, Wind & Fire Day to all who celebrate. BA-DEE-YA, my friends... youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk

Read to the end for a behind-the-scenes story of how Paul Pierce stepped up in the Pitino era and showed leadership at a very young age. ... Actually quite a bit of inside stuff here.

Read to the end for a behind-the-scenes story of how Paul Pierce stepped up in the Pitino era and showed leadership at a very young age. ... Actually quite a bit of inside stuff here.

Paul Pierce on Jaylen Brown: "When you start getting more of the rope, you’ve got to be more responsible. He’s going to get more leeway... now he’s the main focus. With that comes more responsibility. You know, ‘How do I get my other teammates involved more?'" bit.ly/46nZNOw

Posted last night: @celticsnba.bsky.social legend Paul Pierce talks about Jaylen Brown's new responsibilities. ... Some very good perspective here.

Posted last night: @celticsnba.bsky.social legend Paul Pierce talks about Jaylen Brown's new responsibilities. ... Some very good perspective here.

NEW: With Jayson Tatum on the shelf, Paul Pierce has some important alpha-dog advice for Jaylen Brown. bit.ly/46nZNOw

ICYMI: Paul Pierce has some interesting things to say about the Celtics' current situation, as well as their reliance on 3-pointers and the playoff loss to the Knicks.. bit.ly/4meuImj

Celtic legend Paul Pierce looks back to the playoffs ("Yeah, they blew that series. That had nothing to do with the Knicks’ talent...") and the Celts' reliance on 3-pointers. Then he offers his opinions on the new ownership and the season ahead. bit.ly/4meuImj

Celtic legend Paul Pierce looks back to the playoffs ("Yeah, they blew that series. That had nothing to do with the Knicks’ talent...") and the Celts' reliance on 3-pointers. Then he offers his opinions on the new ownership and the season ahead. bit.ly/4meuImj

NEW: Paul Pierce opens up about the Celtics... -- how they "blew that series" against the Knicks -- their reliance on 3-pointers -- how much Jayson Tatum's injury impacted the offseason moves -- his confidence in the new ownership -- and more ⬇️ bit.ly/4meuImj

NEW: Paul Pierce opens up about the Celtics... -- how they "blew that series" against the Knicks -- their reliance on 3-pointers -- how much Jayson Tatum's injury impacted the offseason moves -- his confidence in the new ownership -- and more ⬇️ bit.ly/4meuImj

Early wins > Early Wynn * * Adjusted for recency bias

A tale of two rookie pitchers by facial hair... Payton Tolle: gets a 5 o'clock shadow at 3 p.m. Connelly Early: shaves once a month whether he needs it or not.

Or does Nick Offerman have something he needs to tell Megan? "Then showed a photo of a baby... his eyes were like mine" -- M. Jackson.

Which one of these guys is pitching for the Red Sox tonight?

ICYMI: Celtics "still very much willing" to talk Anfernee Simons trade. But one exec thinks C's should think twice: Because of players lost, "Joe Mazzulla’s going to have to completely change the style of play. And Simons… nobody can score like him on that team other than Brown." bit.ly/4lT6PjQ

Sources say Celtics still open to moving Anfernee Simons. Others wonder whether they should be so quick to pull the trigger. Exec: “As the kids say, he’s a bucket. He is. That dude is a bucket. He can really fill it up." Says he'll be even better in Eastern Conference. bit.ly/4lT6PjQ

City of Dallas also open to making Reunion Tower and game-worn Larry Hagman stetson available in trade talks.

Sources say Celtics still open to moving Anfernee Simons. Others wonder whether they should be so quick to pull the trigger. Exec: “As the kids say, he’s a bucket. He is. That dude is a bucket. He can really fill it up." Says he'll be even better in Eastern Conference. bit.ly/4lT6PjQ

The Who is playing Fenway Park tonight, and the stage is set up in center field. That position seems wrong. ... Shouldn't The Who be on first? (That's OK, I'll show myself out.)

Adventures in closed captioning: John McEnroe was actually talking about a World Series game that saw the MARLINS beat the Yankees... Which is not to say Danny Ainge and Dale Murphy couldn't have rounded up a crew to knock off the New Yorkers.

Watching the Tour Championship, and there's all this talk of Tommy Fleetwood and the mini driver he's occasionally using. Just my opinion, but... Minnie Driver > mini driver

Tavares is still bringin' it. Rocked the huge crowd at Kowloon's 75th anniversary celebration last night. Iconic stuff.

NBA staffs dealing with fallout after owners set up second apron in CBA. Exec: “What’s funny is that once they sign on to the new system and have to operate under it, they turn to us in the front office and say, ‘Figure a way to get around it.’" bit.ly/4lCRTX8

NBA execs talk second apron trouble for Celtics and others: “What happens if Tatum is able to come back late this season and for the playoffs — then he gets there and looks around, and there’s all these key guys missing?" Interesting insights here. ⬇️ bit.ly/4lCRTX8

NEW: According to NBA execs, what the second apron did to the Celtics is a taste of things to come. "The second apron is a bitch, man," says one. The restrictions are "seriously f--- chilling to those in basketball ops," adds another. Much more here ⬇️ bit.ly/4lCRTX8

NEW: According to NBA execs, what the second apron did to the Celtics is a taste of things to come. "The second apron is a bitch, man," says one. The restrictions are "seriously f--- chilling to those in basketball ops," adds another. Much more here ⬇️ bit.ly/4lCRTX8

The picture and video don't do it justice... but the smallest town in the state turned out in a big way Thursday as we became a Purple Heart Community and honored our recipients from WWI on. A moving ceremony.

From last night: An UNSCIENTIFIC update on Jayson Tatum... For what it's worth, he's looking good at Chris Paul's camp. NBA scout to me in a text accompanied by a pic: “Young fella has bounced back nicely” bit.ly/4l4JhIo

Unscientific Jayson Tatum update: Scouts are in Vegas to see high school and college kids at Chris Paul's camp -- but one checked in to say how good Tatum is looking on his way back from Achilles surgery: "I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving." bit.ly/4l4JhIo

Exec thinks NBA should be "terrified" of what Luka Doncic's reshaped body means for his playoff stamina and Laker longevity. Meanwhile, a GM wonders if Mavs fans will be "pissed off" that Luka didn't choose to make this kind of commitment when he was in Dallas. bit.ly/44SVuLr

The new, in-shape Luka Doncic bodes well for the Lakers' future. NBA coach: "People should be very terrified." On the other hand... One league exec: "You can also look at it like, why did it take him seven years in the league to realize he needed to do something like this?" bit.ly/44SVuLr

The new, in-shape Luka Doncic bodes well for the Lakers' future. NBA coach: "People should be very terrified." On the other hand... One league exec: "You can also look at it like, why did it take him seven years in the league to realize he needed to do something like this?" bit.ly/44SVuLr

Kenny Lofton Jr. combines a soft touch from 3 and strong court awareness (5 assists tonight) with the fact that every one of his drives to the hoop is essentially a hostile act. Don't know if there's space for him on the Celtics (I mean that figuratively), but he's certainly fun to watch.

Referees might have early show tickets on the Vegas Strip tonight. They're letting Celtics and Heat play. ... That's usually a good thing. Unfortunately, what the C's and Heat are playing is hockey.

Twenty-nine field goal attempts in 56 minutes over two summer league games (8-for-29, including 2-15 from 3-point range). ... No doubt he's here to let it fly. The "SHY" in Scheierman is silent.

Going over Celtics-Knicks in Vegas. Early thought: Baylor Scheierman launching from the summer league logo with eight seconds on the shot clock is near peak NBA 2K26. So is the fact he made it.

Kenny Lofton Jr. has good skills for a player of his size. Chief among them has to be setting picks... A defender has to call an Uber to get around that man.

Many, many years ago, Jazz PR legend Bill Kreifeldt gave me several pages of Frank's hilarious quotes. I'd run one each week in my Sunday NBA notes column under the heading, "Frank Layden's Greatest Hits." Frank once joked to me that he was more famous in Boston than in Utah. RIP, big man.

A number of former Wildcats admitted to me that their school was well over the salary cap long before NIL became a thing... but pretty sure the University of Kentucky never officially made it into the NBA.

Damian Lillard was destined to be an ill fit in Milwaukee. Bucks lost defense and more when trading Jrue Holiday for Dame's firepower. Then lost even more when Portland dealt Holiday to Boston. Coach calls me right after latter trade: "How the f*** did Milwaukee not see that coming?"

ICYMI: So just how does Anfernee Simons fit with the Celtics' rotation? ... And with the C's still open to trades, could that be a moot question? Also: what's Luke Kornet looking at in the free agent market? We talk to NBA people for the answers. bit.ly/3TIInGd

So just how does Anfernee Simons fit with the Celtics' rotation? ... And with the C's still open to trades, could that be a moot question? Also: what's Luke Kornet looking at in the free agent market? We talk to NBA people for the answers. bit.ly/3TIInGd

So just how does Anfernee Simons fit with the Celtics' rotation? ... And with the C's still open to trades, could that be a moot question? Also: what's Luke Kornet looking at in the free agent market? We talk to NBA people for the answers. bit.ly/3TIInGd

From yesterday...

NEW: Per sources, Celtics trying to move into the lottery. Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis said to be a target. Plus: Jrue Holiday reportedly very unhappy being dealt to Trail Blazers. Another trade possible. bit.ly/4k7mxXM

The OKC defense is obviously one of the best the NBA has yet seen... but it doesn't nearly explain all the Indiana turnovers. And if the Pacers had been more poised with the ball, this easily could have been a much different game.

Popeye Jones got a really cool birthday present today. He got to watch his son Seth hoist the Stanley Cup.

I know the analogy doesn't line up perfectly, but the Rafael Devers trade is giving me Nomar Garciaparra for Orlando Cabrera vibes.