“I wanna be the reason no one else will.”
The Boston Celtics ficially introduced their new signings at a press conference on Wednesday, which includes All Star point guard Kemba Walker and veteran center Enes Kanter. Both Walker and Kanter were presented with their new uniforms at the presser, as Walker ficially transitions from No. 15 to No. 8, while Kanter opted for the familiar No. 11.
When asked about his decision to choose 11, Kanter mocked former Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving, telling reporters with a smile, “I wanna be the reason no one else will.” That quote was pulled directly from Kyrie’s 2018 Nike commercial, in which he described how his father wore No. 11 at Boston University and how he wanted to make sure nobody else ever would wear it.
Check out Kanter’s remark, as well as the commercial that inspired it, in the tweets embedded below.
As noted, Kemba Walker will be wearing the number Celtics legend Antoine Walker, because his old No. 15 is retired for Tommy Heinsohn.
Unlike the situation with Kanter, there was no shade involved when Walker revealed that he’d be wearing Toine’s old number. The 29-year old point guard told reporters, “He Antoine] gave me the blessing.”