Boston Celtics: Jae Crowder Instills Confidence and Winning Attitude

Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder may not put up the big numbers, but he is a superstar when it comes to winning and confidence.

Jae Crowder only contributed five points in Sunday’s blowout victory over the Chicago Bulls. But it is what doesn’t show up in the score box that makes him a superstar on a Boston Celtics team with no superstars.

Since the day Crowder was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a trade involving former Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, he has inspired both winning and confidence to a young team that was lost in limbo at the time.

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Speaking to Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Crowder detailed his chat with head coach Brad Stevens following his first 15 games with the team. The Celtics were 13-26 at the time and the passionate forward wanted to know what the long-term plan was. When Stevens responded that he wanted to win, Crowder knew he was in the right place.

"“That’s all it’s about with me: winning,” Crowder said, via ESPN. “It’s all a desire to win – to win the next game, to win the next practice, to win the next day. My college coach [Buzz Williams at Marquette] did a great job of breaking down my focus by days. I just wanted to win that day, not worry about tomorrow, not worry about the last day, just win that day. An emphasis to have a great day, successful day, and don’t let anything bother you.”"

Crowder didn’t want to be a part of a team where “losing” was okay or even expected. In ways, what Crowder didn’t want to be a part of turned the team into what it is today. The passion to win and that confidence needed to turn underdogs into winners is the biggest stat Crowder gives the team day in and day out.

He also gives them a toughness that has rubbed off on players like Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, rookie first-round pick Jaylen Brown and even Al Horford. In fact, since Jae Crowder had his chat with Stevens combined with the addition of Thomas, the Celtics have gone 117-75 with two playoff appearances and are currently tied for second in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics may still be a superstar away from becoming complete NBA title contenders, but they are ahead of the game because of the confidence Crowder instills. According to Stevens, players like Jae Crowder are very important to building a championship team.

"“I think those type of guys are really important too,” Stevens told Forsberg. “Like, you just have to believe. Jae goes out there every night thinking he’s going to do everything in his power to help you win the game.”"

This season, Crowder is scoring 13.2 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and dishing out just over two assists per game. He is shooting a career high 39.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. But, more importantly, he continues to give the team the same kind of energy he did when he was first acquired. That energy is vital for this Boston Celtics team to reach the heights they want to reach.

Next: Boston Celtics Stifle Golden State Warriors to Get Back in the Win Column

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