
Wyc Grousbeck to represent Celtics at draft lottery
By Adam Himmelsbach, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON — The Celtics have had 11 entries in the NBA draft lottery and they have never improved their position. So when the team’s brass discussed which representative it would send to Tuesday’s drawing, that truth was factored in.
“I think we just keep trying a different guy every year,” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said Friday. “My number just came up basically.”
Grousbeck will be on stage for the final reveal and co-owner Steve Pagliuca will be behind the scenes to witness the drawing. Grousbeck has never been the Celtics’ on-stage representative, but he was in New York to watch the Ping-Pong balls pop up last year and in 2007.
The Celtics received the fifth overall pick in 2007 after starting the night with the second-best odds for No. 1. But Grousbeck pointed out that the pick was ultimately used in the trade that brought Ray Allen to Boston, so he viewed it as a fortunate night after all.
Boston will not be able to improve its standing on Tuesday night, because the lottery choice it will receive from the Brooklyn Nets already has the highest odds — 25 percent — of ending up No. 1 overall. The pick cannot fall past No. 4.
“I’m told by our basketball side that they really like a bunch of guys,” Grousbeck said. “In fact, they like four guys or more in this draft, and so that may even take a little bit of the pressure off the lottery. But whenever we’re in a competition under Celtics colors, we want to try to win, and I’m sure Tuesday will be no exception.”
Grousbeck said he is not planning to bring a unique talisman to New York, but he will have something.
“My only good-luck charm in my life is my 2008 championship ring,” he said, “so I’ll be wearing that.”
Globe Sports 5/13/2017 12:15:57 AM
Celtics-Wizards Game 6, 8 p.m. (ESPN) | Preview | NBA scoreboard Globe Sports 5/13/2017 12:09:51 AM

Pregame in DC. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)
Globe Sports 5/13/2017 12:02:58 AM

(Rachel G. Bowers/Globe Staff)
Globe Sports 5/12/2017 11:55:45 PM

Celtics arrive in black
By Rachel G. Bowers, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON — The Celtics on Friday wore black to the Verizon Center prior to Game 6 of their conference semifinal against the Wizards.
As the Celtics look to close out Washington in Game 6, it might seem the players coordinated their attire in response to the Wizards, who did the same before their Jan. 24 matchup, saying they were dressing for a funeral.
But guard Avery Bradley said it was not planned.
“I promise you guys,” he said pregame.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he didn’t know about it and it hasn’t been brought up in the locker room.
“No, yeah, I’m not on the text chain,” Stevens said, “by design. I still haven’t heard anybody talk about it, so I don’t even know what the deal is.
“I’m being dead honest, like I didn’t hear anybody talk about it because there weren’t that many guys on the bus that I rode over with. I just walked in there and just talking about the Wizards and how to prepare for this game.”
Wizards coach Scott Brooks did not make much of Boston’s pregame fashion choice.
“Yeah, I did not know that,” Brooks said. “I don’t care what they wear. I really don’t care . . . Yeah, I don’t care.
“It’s about playing good basketball on the court. It’s about playing together, it’s about imposing our will on them and vice versa.”
Globe Sports 5/12/2017 11:54:55 PM