New Celtic Jason Terry already hates Heat, Lakers

Jason Terry loves being a Celtic.

He’s getting fresh Celtics ink. He’s hanging with the fine folks of Boston and working on the accent. He’s having fun in a city that embraces its basketball team like few others.

Oh, and he’s hating the Heat and Lakers.

Terry is blogging his experiences this season for ESPNBoston.com and authored this:

It didn’t take me long to embrace being a Celtic. I hate whoever they hate. The Lakers are number one up there and the Heat aren’t too far behind. Doc tells us every day to think about the Heat. Not only does he tell us, but the film plays over and over if you go to the practice facility. Before practice and after practice, that series [2012 Eastern Conference Finals] is playing over and over on the television.

The Celtics/Lakers rivalry is the NBA gold standard, because it stretches back more than 50 years and one of those teams wins a ring in half those seasons.

But the Lakers are the problem the Celtics hope to have to deal with. Doc Rivers is spot on — the Heat are the first hurdle between Boston and its goal. Boston’s roster is put in place to match up with the Heat and would give them a challenge. But still, they have to get there and be ready for a Heat team that beat them last year and will be better this time around. Doc gets it.

And Terry gets it. And he gets being a Celtics.