Celtics tap Tom Brady to hype up fans, while Mavericks counter with Patrick Mahomes

Tom Brady will always be woven into Boston sports fabric. The Celtics reminded fans of that with a video released Wednesday, a day before they face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The latest in the Celtics' series of hype videos featured throughout the playoffs was narrated by Brady, who best represents Boston's championship pedigree with the six Super Bowl championships he won for the New England Patriots.

As the best team in the NBA during the regular season, the Celtics were frequently called out by fans of the opponents ready to face them in the playoffs with chants of "We want Boston!" The theme of this latest hype video was a warning to those fans: "Be careful what you wish for."

"Really? You want Boston? Take it from me, that’s a bad idea," Brady said before narrating a montage of the Celtics' run through the 2024 NBA playoffs.

"The [Heat] culture? History. Cleveland? Done for," added Brady. "And Indy? Over with. But us? We’re still here. Right now, you’re gonna want anyone but Boston."

Meanwhile, the Mavericks countered with another NFL star for their hype video. Yet in what could be viewed as an indictment of recent Dallas Cowboys history, the Mavs had to go elsewhere for a Super Bowl-winning narrator, enlisting Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

No, this isn't a stretch. (Though Dak Prescott might disagree.)

Mahomes is a big Mavericks fan. He's been seen courtside for several home games, including Game 3 of the Western Conference finals versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Perhaps more importantly, Mahomes is a Texas native, born in Tyler and attending high school in Whitehouse, both 100 miles away from Dallas.

However, Brady took his support of the Celtics a step further, appearing on camera to open the latest episode of the Celtics' "All In" video series to explain what it takes to be a champion.

"Being a champion is a desire to achieve," Brady said. "A lot of people want to be in that big moment, but they're very fearful of what comes when they don't get it done the way they want."

"The mindset is always 'no fear' and to prove to everybody how much they trust each other," Brady added. "How much they care about one another and to prove the desire they have to accomplish something that nobody will ever be able to take away from you."

The Patriots won Super Bowl XLII in 2008 (finishing the 2007-08) season, months before the Celtics won their last NBA championship. New England was nowhere near a Super Bowl in 2023-24, but maybe Brady can still pass along some magic to this year's Celtics team while pursuing the title that will fulfill the massive expectations they carry.