Celtics’ Chisholm On Mazzulla, Stevens, TD Garden, More

Celtics owner Bill Chisholm recently gave an interview to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). The conversation covers a number of topics, including Chisholm’s first year as the team’s governor and majority stakeholder, his thoughts on Jaylen Brown‘s excellent season, Jayson Tatum‘s return from a torn Achilles tendon, and more.

Here are a few highlights from Himmelsbach’s interview with Chisholm.

On whether Chisholm has built a connection with the Celtics:

“I feel extremely welcome. I try to find the right balance of being supportive and visible to them without making them feel like I’m looking over their shoulder. I try to be super available, super positive, and I’ve tried to develop a relationship with all the players, and certainly with [head coach Joe Mazzulla]. We’re on the same page, and I’m a huge fan. And [president of basketball operations Brad Stevens] and his team are tremendous.”

On how having Mazzulla and Stevens, whom Chisholm called the “best basketball executive there is,” in place has brought stability to the team: 

“I do not take that for granted. I look around at the owners’ meetings and talking to other folks and hear of the challenges they have and the wholesale changes they have to make, not just to their rosters but their management. It is extraordinary here. It’s all I know, but I know enough to know this is not normal to have this. I am going to fight and claw and do everything in my power to make sure we keep it going with those guys.”

On the perception that Chisholm was concerned about cutting costs after the Celtics made a series of offseason and in-season transactions to move below the salary tax line, easing several roster-building restrictions in the process: 

“I think it’s out there, but ultimately I have to prove every day in the near term, medium term, and long term that I want to win, I want to win desperately, and I’m a huge fan. I can understand where some short-term decisions might feel like they’re not necessarily headed in that direction, but I put hand on heart and know I’m doing and we’re doing the right things to win, and that’s what we care about. So, you have to trust in that.

“I compare us to other teams coming into the season that looked a lot like us. We were completely aligned that we’re about winning. We’re going to compete, play hard, develop our talent, find additional talent, and this is not a gap year. We’re just not doing that. I can put my hand on heart saying that. I’ll prove it and I’ll continue to prove it every day, that I just want to win.”

On the status of TD Garden and the possibility of building a new arena in the future: 

“It’s pretty much the same as it was at the beginning of the season. The philosophy there is the same. The Garden is a great place to play. It’s consistently ranked one of the best places in the league for player and fan experience. It’s loud, a lot of energy, and it’s got a storied history.

“My starting point is if we can make it work, we’d love to stay where we are. And making it work means improving the fan experience and the player experience. If we can do those things and remain where we are now, that’s great. And if that doesn’t work there, we’ll think about other places. But my goal here is to see if we ideally make it work where we are, and I think there’s a commitment with us, with the Bruins and Delaware North, with all of that. That’s where we want to end up and we’re working on it as we speak.“