WOULD-BE CELTIC OKAFOR ADMITS A NEED TO MOVE PAST ‘DUMB MISTAKES’

Interesting stuff from Jahlil Okafor in his Players’ Tribune piece. The Celtics flirted with the possibility of acquiring the big man on a couple of occasions, but once he fell out of the 76ers’ blueprint, he was dealt to Brooklyn for less than the C’s had been discussing.

“I just wanted to play basketball — that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Okafor wrote. “But I didn’t fit into Philly’s plans. And I totally understood why Coach (Brett Brown) couldn’t play me. They’re trying to build those guys into a playoff contender — and I wasn’t going to be there when that happened. So it didn’t make sense for them to have me in the rotation.

“But, man, it’s still tough. And you still want to play.

“It was like everybody knew I was gone . . . and we were all just waiting for it to happen.

“First, I thought I was going to get traded over the summer. And then I thought I was going to get traded in the preseason. And both times, for whatever reason, it never went down. But I know this league is a complicated business — and that trades can take time. So I really just tried to stay patient . . . and handle my situation as professionally as I could.

“Part of handling the situation professionally, I decided, was making sure that whatever team in the league did end up trading for me — they were getting themselves the best possible version of Jahlil Okafor. That meant going through some very real, very honest reflection about my strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the court. And it meant growing up fast — into a professional that I knew I could be proud of.”

That last reference could well be to an altercation he had with a heckler outside a Boston club during his rookie season. Some of what athletes are expected to put up with is more than a bit unseemly, but understanding the risk/benefit breakdown of situations is critical to navigating the waters.

After discussing his specific needs for better defense and the like, Okafor wrote, “I also recognized that maturing as a person would be just as important. I know I have to move past being one of those young guys who’s making dumb mistakes. I have to become the kind of person who’s ‘the bigger person’ — who walks away from the bad situations, and doesn’t make excuses. And I’ve been working hard, and I’ll continue to work hard, to make those things happen too.”

A week ago yesterday, Okafor almost made a Celtic loss happen. He had 12 points in 121⁄2 minutes, and if the Nets had gone to him more, they may have been able to avoid the 8785 defeat at the hands of the C’s.