Tim Sharp/AP
The Celtics were one of six teams to meet with Durant in early July, and they had, perhaps, the most memorable pitch: they brought Tom Brady.
It didn't matter, of course - indications are the Celtics weren't among the frontrunners for Durant. But the move seemed to make a lasting impression on Celtics players themselves.
In particular, second-year guard, 22-year-old R.J. Hunter, had a hilarious take-away from the Celtics' recruiting strategy, saying his teammates raved about meeting Brady. Hunter told ESPN's Chris Forsberg. he wishes he was part of the meeting:
"All I heard was their experience with Tom Brady, so I didn't really get a lot about the [Durant] meeting. [The Celtics players were] like, 'Yeah, the meeting was cool, but Tom, bro - it was crazy.'"
"They all posted Instagrams [with Brady]. I was kind of jealous. I wanted one. [Brady] had the button-up and everything. It was cool, man. That would have been huge for my Instagram."
Durant sounded pretty impressed with the move, too, saying from the U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Team practice on Monday:
"I was ready to just say, 'OK, let's go.' 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."
No matter Durant's standing among the NBA's elite, Celtics players still see him at least twice a season when he plays Boston. Seeing Brady, however, seemed to be too good to be true.
Take note, other NBA teams - if an all-time great quarterback plays in your city, bring them to NBA free agency meetings.