It's hard not to still be fascinated by that day on 189 Further Lane in East Hampton, N.Y. almost five years ago. How can you not be?
The image of Tom Brady, scally cap and all, sauntering up the path to the mansion's front door, where Kevin Durant was standing. The then-NBA free agent had paid $100,000 to stay in five-bedroom, 7,500-foot-square foot estate, cycling in guests during his 10-day stay.
On this late June day -- just about two months after the Celtics were eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs -- Durant was welcoming the Celtics front office, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and, of course, Kelly Olynyk. (David Ortiz was also asked to be there, but couldn't break away from his baseball season.)
Then there was Brady.
We know how this ended up. The Celtics finished second to the Warriors in the quest for Durant's services, with the former Warriors, and current Nets star later telling The Athletic regarding the C's pitch, "I mean, I love Tom Brady, but I don't know if he can help me if he was on the court with me right now. I love that people wanted me on their team, but at the same time I just wanted to hear from the coaches and the players about what they needed or why they wanted me on their team and what I needed to do as a player.
"My whole concern was just wanting to play ball the right way, play with some good dudes and build a bond that will last forever. I feel like this is the perfect place for it."
But, what if ...
Even without the reoccurring images of Olynyk posing with Brady, all of it seems so surreal.
For one, the idea the Brady -- the de facto Tampa-area Chamber of Commerce executive director -- was selling Durant on the idea that living life as a Boston pro sports icon while actually residing in New England was the be-all, end-all seems utterly bizarre.
And, evidently, the Brady message at the time was effectively genuine.
"I was ready to just say, 'OK, let's go,'" Durant told reporters a few weeks after the meeting. "Just seeing someone so successful at his craft. He's a great ambassador for the game of football and the city of Boston. It's great to be in the presence of such greatness. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't let that distract me."
"I would say [Brady's presence] was very effective. It was very compelling," Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said during a Boston radio appearance shortly after the get-together. "It was, 'Look, this is what it's like to win in Boston, this is what it's like to play in Boston. You'll look great in green. This is a great place to raise a family. I'm settling here with my family after my playing days are done, and you're going to love it in Boston and I hope you come.'"
Ummm ... That was then, this is now.
Brady has proclaimed he is never living in the Northeast again and Durant, well, he is making Celtics fans miserable for a second time.
But what if Durant was wooed to Boston by the Celtics contingent?
It's not a reach to suggest that the perception of Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge and the past and future of the entire organization would be looking dramatically different.
Even without Durant that following season, the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals before being eliminated by the eventual world champion Cavaliers. It's absolutely fair to suggest the C's beat LeBron James Cavs that year, while taking care of business against a Durant-less Warriors club in the Finals.
But with no Durant, along came the perceived answer to missing out on star forward -- acquiring Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. We all know how that ended up, with Irving's attitude and Hayward's injuries leaving the Celtics' in their current tail-chasing existence.
And while Al Horford was a nice free agent haul at the time, we now know the power Durant has over making whatever team he's playing for seem like the place to be. And wouldn't it be keen if Boston was currently perceived as a preferred landing spot?
It's hard to argue that Durant didn't make the right decision. He has won two NBA championships since meeting up with Brady that day, and might just be on his way to a third.
But it's also to contemplate what might have been. Especially when Tom Brady and Kelly Olynyk are the ones standing guard at such a historic fork in the road.
