Much of the conversation ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season circulating in the NBA media has revolved around something that isn’t necessarily a basketball conversation, though it has pervaded virtually all aspects of contemporary life. We are of course talking about COVID-19 vaccination in the league, and in particular some especially vaccine-resistant players who occupy positions of considerable influence. But rather than making the story about those individuals, the hosts of the “Celtics Lab” podcast Justin Quinn, Cam Tabatabaie, and Alex Goldberg dug deep in the hopes of re-setting the narratives a bit surrounding how we should engage those persons and the issue of vaccine hesitancy (and more pernicious anti-vaccine sentiments) in society more generally. It can be hard for some of us in the media to see Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and others resistant to making choices for the common good, but a steady stream of fan and media ire is almost certainly going to do little to change their minds on how they can best use their platforms (and bodies) to make us all safer (and teams perhaps more successful) in the midst of a pandemic.  To that end, we were incredibly lucky to have Andy Slavitt of the “In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt” podcast to talk on the intersection of public health in an era of COVID-19, the NBA and society at large. Andy has worked with the last three presidents on issues of public health, most recently serving as President Biden’s COVID-19 advisor. We hope you find this podcast as informative and helpful in coping with and making progress on this viral scourge affecting all of our lives as we did. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/celtics-lab-nba-basketball-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a new NBA season begins, every team is undefeated, and, at least mathematically speaking, a title contender as well. But for fans of the Boston Celtics, such slights of hand are not going to be enough to slake the thirst for Banner 18 raging in the gullets of Bostonians and their ilk. But the consensus seems to be that Boston is as well-prepared to do the deed as any team in the league next season, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets virtual co-favorites to win it all. When the dust settles on the 2023 NBA Finals, we will have our answer, but in the meantime, it is the duty of the league’s press corp to sort fact from fiction regarding the season ahead. To such an end, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with USA TODAY’s Jeff Zilgitt to do exactly that, from the preseason tilts we have seen thus far all the way on to the future of the league beyond this season and the next. Brace yourself for a few spicy takes plus plenty of agreement regarding this tea’s potential — no matter how it pans out, the NBA’s 2023-24 season already looks like the wildest of rides. The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Boston Celtics rolling and their path to hanging Banner 18 looking more possible than it has in many years, you can’t fault fans of the storied ball club for hoping for a reunion with former Boston big men Daniel Theis or Kelly Olynyk. Or failing that, team president Brad Stevens getting a deal done for rumored target Isaiah Stewart to fortify the team’s frontcourt. But even fairly modest trades like these are probably not in the cards for the Celtics this season, who can’t follow through with an offer that makes sense given the exigencies of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement or the team’s current structure. But the team will almost certainly make at least a few lesser moves to get better ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline in Early February, so the hosts of CLNS Media’s “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Cap Sheets’ Yossi Gozlan to try to project what it is Boston actually will end up doing. We also get into why those fun but unrealistic deals bringing back Celtics alumni or Beef Stew are unlikely or impossible, and get caught up on the last Boston news of 2023. The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Boston Celtics will face the Brooklyn Nets later this week with the Eastern Conference’s top spot potentially at stake, and while a bit of the wind has been taken out of the proverbial sails of the matchup with Nets star Kevin Durant out for the game with a sprained MCL as well as an outside shot of Marcus Smart missing the contest with a contused knee, it will still be a very important game for the Celtics. More data for a potential postseason collision, the aforementioned top spot in play, and a chance to see if Boston will play the way they should despite the absence of KD all loom large. The growth of Brooklyn bigs Nick Claxton and Ben Simmons also figures to be a point of concern, and any time the team crosses paths with Kyrie Irving, things get intense. To that end, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with the host of the Off the Glass “Brooklyn Buzz” podcast Nick Fay to talk all things Celtics-Nets. The foursome get into how Durant’s absence may impact the MVP race, what sort of trade targets each squad might have interest in at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, and more. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/celtics-lab-nba-basketball-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices