Doc Rivers joked that the Celtics would be watching the television show Homeland as the Miami Heat receive their rings before Tuesday night's NBA opener.
It's a strange tradition, if you really think about it.
Rather than holding a special ceremony that would allow for proper celebration, the NBA champions receive their rings before an opening night game the following season.
Instead of drinking champagne and hanging out after getting their rings, the champions are tasked with playing a basketball game. And their opponents, whoever they may be, have to watch -- or not watch, in the Boston Celtics' case Tuesday night -- as the rings are handed out.
Doc Rivers won't have his Celtics watch the Heat's ring ceremony Tuesday night before the two teams meet in their season opener. He joked they'll be watching the television show "Homeland" instead, but really the Celtics will just be in their locker room avoiding the ruckus.
“We didn’t really look forward to it, we were hoping that Oklahoma was playing Miami on opening night, to watch ring night,” Rivers said before Boston's shootaround Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe. “I don’t know why they chose us. They deserve it, they won it last year, they had their day. We had our day, LeBron (James) had to sit and watch that. He’s probably been through several of them, he’s been through two. This time is payback night and he deserves it, he really does. He’s probably gone through more scrutiny than any player, maybe any athlete, that I can ever remember. In that light, I’m happy for him. I just wish he could have waited.”
James won't have to wait for his ring anymore. It'll be the Celtics waiting for a small bit of revenge, instead, as the Heat are honored as NBA champions.