Celtics motivation centered on something bigger than winning another title

Even by winning it all convincingly last season and bringing the core back intact, the Celtics will go into this season with their share of doubters … and they couldn’t be more happy about it. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)

NBA preseason games typically serve one purpose: to give fans a taste of what’s to come when the games count, and players to work themselves into basketball-playing shape.

Defending champs have it even harder as they try to do those things while trying to balance competing with a high sense of urgency, knowing they are months away from truly needing to be the best version of themselves.

But when you listen to what the Celtics are saying, you see what they’re doing in practice while embracing their deep-rooted desire to be great, you get the sense that a preseason matchup against the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, might have a little more edge to it than most games this time of year.