Inside the Celtics Locker Room Championship Celebration

The first thing visible when the door opened on the celebration was team governor Wyc Grousbeck sharing a TV interview with Xavier Tillman Sr., the Celtics depth big who arrived at the trade deadline and played sparingly before helping Boston win Game 3 of the Finals with Kristaps Porziņģis out.

Behind them, a staff of unsung assistants, Jermaine Bucknor, Tyler Lashbrook and Matt Reynolds, leaped around and screamed the lyrics to Lil Wayne’s “Let the Beat Build” as the speakers belted its bass through the room. Jrue Holiday looked their way with his eyes and smile widened. Luke Kornet, towering above the crowd, leaned over it and pointed at Tillman across the room with a Miller Lite in his other hand. Kornet said he might not make Tuesday morning mass. One assistant thanked a media member for their coverage all year.

The room featured a mix of front office executives, team staff, including chefs and security, coaches, trainers, stars and bench players, along with family members, all mixing in, dancing, drenching each other and filling the room with the smell of smoke. Isaiah Covington, one of the team’s trainers, handled the iPad and selected the music, per usual.

“All championship good vibes,” Covington said. “Some Lil Wayne, and we’re gonna go.”

The rest of the night featured Young Thug, Future, Jay Z, Peso Pluma and Morgan Wallen, among others. It all played to different tastes. It all played well in a room willing to roll with whatever plan worked for the larger group.

Then, Not Like Us came on. More bottles started spraying. Bucknor felt a full one pour over his head. Bodies started flying around near the whiteboard in the back of the room. Queta and Oshae Brissett, a Toronto native and Drake fan, embraced and danced to it anyway. Peterson and Walsh emptied a pair of beer cans in Grousbeck’s face, blinding him for a moment as he tossed up two middle fingers.

“I knew I’d be in the NBA, but NBA championship? That thing felt like a dream and a stretch,” Brissett told CLNS. “It still feels like a dream, but I’m here and I’m embracing it. I’m proud of myself for being here. It took a lot of hard work to get here, to stay in the league, and I did it. I grew, on the court and off the court, mentally, physically, I grew and Imma keep going. The rest of my career, I’m gonna keep this with me, and I’m just gonna try to build off it. This is something I want to experience for the rest of my career.”

The Celtics continued to struggle describing what that night felt like, but on the visitors’ side, it took a more somber tone. Jason Kidd gave his perspective of the series, reflecting on his 2011 championship with Dallas and noting that his biggest feeling was wanting to continue playing. The Mavericks and himself had reached such a high level of execution and rhythm that, especially at his age then, he wanted to keep it going. Some Celtics already moved on to talking about doing it again.

For such a process-oriented group this season, reaching the destination appeared as surreal as it was fulfilling. For a roster that sometimes looked so focused that they grew tight, the players let it all loose until the sun rose the following morning.

Over the following week, as the crowds celebrating them publicly grew to millions, it became real. Al Horford smiled everywhere he went and embraced each moment he met with fans. Jayson Tatum tweeted how much he loved being called champ.