ROXBURY — Dozens of kids swarmed Josh Minott as he attempted free throws, laughing and yelling into the Celtics player’s ears as he entertained the crowd.
That concluded an afternoon of basketball drills and activities celebrating the unveiling of a newly renovated basketball court at the Roxbury YMCA.
It also gave Minott yet another opportunity to fall in love with the city he now calls home.
The court renovation, a result of a partnership between the Boston Celtics and New Balance, means that the Roxbury youth now have a much nicer basketball court to play on than they did before.
And, the event itself served as a full-circle moment for Minott himself, who vividly recalled his own first encounter with NBA players attending Miami Heat youth camps as a kid growing up in South Florida.
“I’m 23 this month, and I’m still remembering that,” Minott said. “I still remember taking pictures with James Jones and Erik Spoelstra and everything — and that was like 14 years ago. So, it just shows the impact it’s had on my life. To be able to come back here and kind of do the same thing for others, it’s a full-circle moment. I never would have thought I would be like the counselor — it feels amazing, man, just to be here.”
Tuesday marked Minott’s first official community event with the Celtics, though by the looks of it, it won’t be his last; throughout the year, the Celtics organization regularly facilitates player visits to YMCAs across the Greater Boston Area as part of a long-standing partnership with the community nonprofit.
At this particular event, the Junior Celtics Academy hosted drills, while Minott played tag with the kids and battled against them in shooting competitions.
All the while, the Celtics forward seemingly couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.
It’s no secret that Minott has quickly fallen in love with the Celtics organization and the city of Boston.
“It’s just a blessing to be here, truthfully,” he said last month. “From the coaching staff to the training staff to the equipment managers, teammates — everyone just helps me to be the person I’m trying to be.”
Minott spent the first three years of his NBA career in Minneapolis, where he mostly rode the bench and racked up DNPs as he adjusted his game from college to the pros.
This summer, when Brad Stevens came calling, he recognized that a potentially sizable opportunity awaited him.
That opportunity has arrived. Minott has started the past five straight games for the Celtics, and so far this season, he is averaging 7.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game — all career-highs.
Off the court, he’s sightseeing and dining out more than he ever has in his NBA career, hitting up Italian restaurants in the North End and going to the beach.
“In three months here, I’ve probably been outside of my place more than in three years in Minnesota,” Minott said. “I’ve just been exploring a lot, just getting to know the environment. It’s a lot bigger of a city, for sure — a lot more to do, a lot more people to see.“
Minott has praised the raucous TD Garden crowd on numerous occasions, expressing disbelief at how engaged and packed the arena was throughout the preseason.
“The whole city, it just seems like everybody’s a die-hard fan,” Minott told CelticsBlog after a preseason win.
The new Celtics addition has fed off that energy, and has grown increasingly close to the Celtics fanbase in just his first few weeks.
But Tuesday afternoon was an opportunity to get further immersed in that city.
“It’s different when there’s 20,000 people yelling at you, but I feel a lot more connected, especially with the youth,” Minott said. “It’s just a blessing, man — I love the opportunity to be able to come out here and just interact with the community.”
Minott began playing basketball at just two years old, learning how to shoot on a Little Tikes hoop. It was love at first sight between him and the sport that has now become a job.
So, he sees himself in the kids at the YMCA, who practice dribbling drills and chucking layups while ooh-ing and aa-hing over the presence of a real-life NBA player.
He’ll continue to attend these types of youth events, so long as the opportunities are there.
“I love it, man,” he said. “Just love it, man.”
