Eleven days. Five games played. And already the kid is a cult hero.
How long before they name the New Boston Garden after Greg Stiemsma?
He’s the new Brian Scalabrine. He’s the new Greg Kite. He’s the new Kevin McHale.
He’s the new (gulp) Bill Russell?
Stiemsma has heard it all. Not bad for a guy who most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League.
Not bad for an undrafted center who averaged a whopping 3.5 points per game in his senior season at Wisconsin, a 26-year-old NBA rookie who played last season for Telekom Ankara in Turkey.
“He’s knows exactly who he is,’’ said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “That’s what I like most about him. You don’t get that from a lot of young players.’’
The 6-foot-11-inch Stiemsma made his first NBA start Monday night against the Wizards. Surrounded by a supporting cast of Hall of Famers, he connected on 5 of 7 shots, scored 13 points, and grabbed 7 rebounds in a 100-92 victory.
He also blocked two shots, which got the attention of Comcast commentator Tommy Heinsohn. Stiemsma has 13 blocks in his first five games. Heinsohn said Stiemsma’s shot-blocking technique reminds him of Russell.
Mike Gorman, Heinsohn’s broadcast partner, was speechless when the goofy comparison was made, but you could hear Gorman’s jaw drop on the broadcast table. It was the same for just about everyone watching.
Yikes. Bill Russell and Greg Stiemsma? Perfect bookends, right? Like Bobby Orr and Lyndon Byers. John F. Kennedy and Jack E. Robinson. Paris and Fitchburg.
Heinsohn wasn’t backing off before last night’s 89-70 Garden blowout of the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets.
“His timing and how he goes about blocking shots does remind me of Russell,’’ said the Celtics legend, who for his entire NBA career was Russell’s teammate. “He makes guys commit, he’s quick to his leap, and he gets his hand up there right when the ball is leaving the shooter’s hand.’’
Great.
But Bill Russell? If it wasn’t coming from Tommy, it would be downright sacrilegious. Russell is the greatest winner in the history of sports, copping 11 championships in 13 NBA seasons and never losing a seventh game.
Heinsohn knows Russell’s greatness firsthand. They were rookies together with the Celtics in 1956-57. It’s a little-known fact that Heinsohn was actually NBA Rookie of the Year in Russell’s rookie season. (Russell’s arrival in Boston was delayed by the Melbourne Olympic Games.) Big Bill made up for lost time and the Celtics won their first NBA championship in the spring of 1957.
“I heard about the Russell remark from a waiter at dinner last night,’’ laughed Rivers. “I was just shaking my head. Who’d want to live up to that expectation? My goodness.’’
