As the NBA’s suspended season passed the two-month marker over the weekend, Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter said he misses his teammates even more than simply being on the court.
“I miss the locker room, man. More than basketball, just being around those guys,” said Kanter. “Sharing things, having fun with them, joking with them and laughing with them. Just having fun in our locker room, I think that’s what i miss the most.
“Because you play with these guys so much, they’re not just your teammates. They become your brothers, you know? I miss those guys a lot. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. I miss them a lot.”
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Over the weekend, Kanter posted a video with the caption, “I miss my brothers,” that showed him sneak-attacking Marcus Smart inside the Celtics locker room at the Auerbach Center before the season was suspended. Smart, who had been lying on the ground, quickly reverses the action and puts Kanter’s head in a scissor lock before forcing a playful tapout.
Vincent Poirier, who joined this week’s “The Enes Kanter Show” podcast, said veterans like Smart and Kemba Walker had reached out to teammates to check on them during the suspension in play. He also noted the team as a whole has a group chat that’s been lively during the break.
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In states where stay-at-home orders have been lifted, some NBA teams have started allowing players to return to their practice facilities for individual workouts. Massachusetts’ current stay-at-home order runs through May 18 and, if lifted at that point, Kanter said he will likely trek back from where he’s staying in Chicago in order to resume workouts.
"I think they want to be able to do it in a safe way. So I think they’re just going to wait until the May 18, then — because like, some states, they are not too bad,” said Kanter. "But Massachusetts, in America, is top 3. It goes New York, New Jersey, then Massachusetts. I think they need to do everything just to keep the players and the people safe.
“[But if the stay-at-home order ends] May 18, if that’s the case, I will come back for sure, just to do some 1-on-1 workouts with the coaches.”
Kanter downplayed the notion that teams have a competitive advantage because they are able to get back into their facilities earlier.
“I don't blame [players that are able to return in other states],” said Kanter. "Obviously, every player wants to go out there and play basketball so I'm not going to be like, 'Oh, I don't want to Philly to practice or I don't want this team to practice.' But good for them, just to get into that gym and smell that atmosphere because we all miss it.”
For now, the Celtics are leaning on their frequent Zoom chats to stay engaged with each other. Kanter helped secure a recent visit from actor/Masked Singer judge Ken Jeong (“He’s an amazing dude,” said Kanter) and said he plans to have actor Terry Crews join the team’s video conference soon, too.