Luke Kornet's Boston homecoming shows why he's beloved by his teams, new and old
Luke Kornet received a warm welcome in his return back to Boston, as his teammates new and old reflected on their love for him.
BOSTON — Reflecting on the high point of his illustrious Boston Celtics career, Luke Kornet, of course, picked something goofy. All those irreverent celebrations and comical soliloquies left no shortage of options.
However, the man universally beloved by his teammates chose a rare moment when he was a hater.
“The Derrick White slander ad, that was my opus,” Kornet said Saturday before his San Antonio Spurs beat the Celtics 100-95 in his return to Boston. “That was the high point. It was mostly all downhill from there.”
White remembers the campaign well. When asked to pick his favorite moment with his former teammate, he only needed a second to respond.
“F— Luke Kornet!” he said with a laugh. “The Tommy Award campaign he had last year was hilarious.”
Kornet said he was more proud of his off-court content than on-court content in Boston, like his fake interview podcast where Brad Stevens tried to crack jokes on his countless celebrations that elicited more laughs than cheers.
It was fitting that his tribute video featured almost everything but him actually playing. Though his play was important to his and the team’s success, he’ll be remembered for everything else. He embraces that.
Kornet’s time in Boston is a measure of a new phase in his life. It wasn’t just that his NBA career transformed from a “maybe” to a “definitely” in the city. His first daughter was just 2 weeks old when Kornet and his wife arrived in town. Leaving Boston wasn’t just about the next stop in his career; it was a novel step for himself as a father.
He’s left so many unforgettable moments in his wake, but White and Sam Hauser remembered him for his journey. They focused on how he has seen every aspect of the bottom in the NBA, and the effort he put into turning his career into something made them all the happier to see him get rewarded with a payday. They were happy for him, even if it meant he was leaving to join the Spurs.
“He was someone who did it the right way. He didn’t skip any steps. Exhibit 10, two-way, G League, he’s done it at every level,” White said. “It’s dope to see someone like that get rewarded and get what he deserves.”
As a sign of the bond that still exists between the big man and his former organization, Kornet watched Boston’s win Friday night against the Toronto Raptors from a seat near the Celtics’ bench. Jayson Tatum walked over to wrap Kornet in a big bear hug. During some timeouts, Kornet could be seen standing nearly on the court chatting with Celtics staff.
At halftime, he ducked through the tunnel that Boston players use to reach the locker room. Not many players take in their former team’s games as spectators, but he has done so twice this season. He also watched the Celtics in Minnesota when the Spurs were in town to play the Timberwolves the following night.
During the Spurs’ shootaround Saturday morning, Kornet expressed how difficult a decision it was to leave Boston in free agency. The Celtics extended him an offer to stay but were financially limited by their desire to get under the collective bargaining agreement’s second apron. Those limitations cost them more than Kornet, with Kristaps Porziņģis (traded to the Atlanta Hawks) and Al Horford (signed with the Golden State Warriors) also lost during the offseason. Given the departures, the Boston frontcourt was such a question mark entering the season that even Brad Stevens said he didn’t know how it would play out. Kornet would have played a big role if he had returned.