Picks 'n Pops: A Sunny day in Boston, muscle watch, & the coolest high school reunion

Every week I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because I tried Jaylen Brown's pool workout and now I have a permanent case of the bends.

The Connecticut Sun played to a full house at TD Garden Tuesday night. I was one of those in the crowd, happy to watch a game wearing team gear and with a drink in hand for the first time in about a decade. Of course, I had to make a few mental notes.

- There were a lot of kids in the crowd, which I loved. The WNBA is a great, affordable way to get young kids to a high-level basketball game. Young girls can see people who look like them and realize they can dream about being professional basketball players too. Young boys can go and just see the women on the floor as pros. Both of those are very important. 

- The Sun went on a 14-2 run to close the game and it was obvious the crowd was giving them an adrenaline boost. They didn't play well in that game, but a couple of late hustle plays got the crowd into it and you could see the momentum shift. That was cool. 

- There's room to discuss a potential move for the Sun. I don’t know if it would be to Boston or not, but it’s becoming clear that Mohegan Sun is quickly becoming an outdated venue. The league is exploding in popularity and these women need better facilities. Selfishly, I’d like to see Providence as a compromise because I’d instantly become a season ticket holder, but wherever they move, I think an upgrade is necessary.

- The change in Boston’s ownership, as well as the popularity of the league, might change the Celtics’ attitude toward the WNBA. They’ve been happy to consider the Sun as a sister-team, but the type of sister they see during holidays, weddings, and funerals. They’d never start their own team while the Sun were still in Connecticut, which is why I mentioned them moving. Adding a team to Boston would kill the Sun as currently situated, but the timing might be right with the Celtics to revisit a closer partnership.

- I thought Curt Miller was going to tackle this ref.

- It was very cool to see Jrue Holiday (with his whole family), Jayson Tatum, Anton Watson, and Baylor Scheierman at the game to show their support.

Jayson Tatum 🤝 Dijonai Carrington 📸 @jaytatum0 @DijonaiVictoria pic.twitter.com/F15BSgruhx

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 21, 2024

- Every once in a while, a little piece of white or green confetti floated down from the rafters. I bet that's going to happen all season long.

- They charged me $33 for a double Jack & Diet so next week I’ll be doing 14 Q&A’s and writing 32 columns before asking Greg for a raise, and recording 25 podcasts to bump up that ad revenue. I know I went big on the drink, but at these prices, I don’t want to hear about the Bruins being cheap when it comes to signing guys.

- No, I didn't write this whole section just so I could write the whole night off on my taxes. But now that I think about it...

Elsewhere … 

- This Angel Reese PSA combating cyberbullying is very well done and also very important. 

Young girls quit sports at an extraordinarily higher rate than boys. but the benefits of sports are the same for them. Sports can build confidence, help interpersonal skills, and teach real-world lessons about winning and losing. Online bullying of female athletes, especially athletes of color, pushes kids away from one of the most beneficial things they'll do in their young lives. 

- Jaylen Brown is making his own sneaker 

I don’t know the name of the brand, but the word is that Brown has emphasized that it not be made outside of North America. He’s gone back and forth with Nike a lot recently, as you’ve heard, and it seems he’s trying to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to criticisms of their labor practices.

- Jaylen has also been working out a little:

I guess this is the difference between putting in hours of work in on honing your craft and body versus drinking double Jack & Diets at a WNBA game. 

Hey, a least I went with the diet, right?

- Fenway Sports Group is not bidding on the Celtics. Let’s get back onto those duckboats!

- The Hoop Collective podcast picked Luka Doncic second, behind Victor Wembanyama, as the player they’d want to start a franchise with. I guess I’m the only one who watched the Celtics specifically target him over and over again on their way to an easy win in the NBA Finals. 

- Good for Guerschon Yabusele for getting a deal with the Sixers. I hope I’m wrong when I say I think people are going to be disappointed. 

- Tatum to the St. Louis Dispatch: “We’re even more motivated to win another one so let’s see what we can do.”

A lot has been said and written about this upcoming season and how this summer plays into it, but it can all be boiled down into one thing: If the Celtics avoid complacency and the championship hangover, they’ll win it again.

- WEEI is a mess. 

- RIP Alvin Attles. He was the face of the Warriors franchise for a long time. A true legend.

- Congratulations Javonte Green on a new deal with Miami. He’s a good player with a great attitude. The only downside is that he now gives me something to like about the Miami Heat.

- Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk throwing out first pitches in St. Louis and recreating their bus photo was a pretty cool moment. To have two buddies from high school reach the pinnacle at the same time and get honored by their hometown team … that's a movie script. 

- Here’s this week’s Bing AI-generated image: Maybe someday the Sun will get a championship parade in Boston.

- Here’s my latest podcast, if you’re bored