Thursday turned into a big day off the court for the Celtics, and not just because of what happened at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club.
Earlier in the day, Boston Children’s Hospital announced a historic gift of more than $200 million from the Boston Celtics ownership group and the Boston Celtics, in association with the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. Dr. Kevin Churchwell, the hospital’s CEO, called the donation more than a record-setting number.
"While the size of this gift is unprecedented for Boston Children's Hospital, its significance will ultimately be measured not by the record it sets, but by the lives it will save," said Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO, Boston Children's Hospital.
Bill Chisholm, the Celtics chairman and governor, said the organization sees the gift as part of something bigger than basketball.
"The Celtics have historically been defined by the concept that true legacy is more than what happens on the court," said Bill Chisholm, Boston Celtics Chairman and Governor. "Boston Children's and the Celtics share a belief that it takes every single one of us to achieve our most ambitious goals.
This gift is our commitment to the next generation in Boston and far beyond. We all win when we invest in our children's futures."
The impact of the donation is expected to reach several areas, including support for building the nation’s preeminent pediatric mental health facility, earlier interventions for kids in crisis, research into emerging therapies for childhood diseases, work to uncover the origins of adult diseases, and advanced training for pediatric nurses.
Then came the Halloween fun.
Ron Harper Jr., Mike Conley and Dillon Mitchell showed up at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club to help the Celtics and Xfinity put on a Halloween surprise party. Harper came dressed as the Cat in the Hat.
Conley arrived in a Scooby-Doo costume and drew a loud reaction from the crowd when he was introduced. Mitchell showed up as SpongeBob SquarePants.
The three players signed autographs, posed for photos and jumped into games of pop-a-shot, knockout and ring toss. Conley also came out on top in a free-throw contest that had each player paired with a partner and shooting with their non-dominant hand.
The prize was the other half of his tandem’s tickets to the Celtics’ Nov. 4 game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. Conley also signed a basketball for the teammate involved in that contest.
For Conley, the community appearance fit with what he has been learning since joining Boston as the Celtics’ first free-agent move this summer. He said the experience has helped him understand the city and the culture around the team.
"It's been great," he said about getting acclimated to Boston and connecting with the community. "It helps you realize what this community is and the culture that is built around the Celtics and a lot of the things that the Celtics bring to the city."
Conley, now in his 20th NBA season, has already become a useful voice for teammates such as Payton Pritchard and Baylor Scheierman. He also got a taste of the bench side of things in a preseason game, and the next day NBA.com’s annual survey of general managers named him the active player who would make the best head coach someday.
He recently made his season debut in Boston’s 134-99 win over the Chicago Bulls, knocking down two 3-pointers and recording two steals. But Thursday was about something different: building ties away from the floor while continuing to settle into a new home.
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