Sam Hauser reflects on contract extension with Celtics: ‘everybody wanted to be back’

Only a few weeks after signing a four-year, $45 million contract extension, Sam Hauser donned a white Maine Celtics T-shirt at a meet-and-greet on the North Shore Mall.

“It simply jogs my memory form of the place it began right here in Boston,” Hauser stated, gesturing at his shirt with a smile. “Or — I assume extra in Maine.”

It wasn’t too way back that Hauser was an undrafted free agent making an attempt to determine tips on how to make it within the NBA. He signed a two-way take care of the Maine Celtics in 2021, hoping that that might function the start of an NBA profession.

For sure, that turned out simply superb.

Three years later, Hauser hit 11 three-pointers in 5 NBA Finals video games en path to the Celtics’ 18th championship, rising out of a short postseason hunch to shoot a scorching-hot 47.8% from three towards the Mavericks.

Simply two months faraway from that storybook end — on a quiet Wednesday night on the Dynasty Sports activities in Peabody — Hauser obtained one other alternative to soak all of it in.

Followers lined as much as get their memorabilia signed by the championship workforce’s prime sharpshooter, bringing with them a slew of things, together with a miniature Larry O’Brien trophy and a 2024 championship banner.

“How a couple of nineteenth banner, Sam?” stated one man in head-to-toe Celtics gear.

“Thanks for the championship,” stated one other, eagerly shaking Hauser’s hand.

That kind of reverence and appreciation from Boston followers hasn’t gotten previous.

“Actually, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it,” Hauser stated. “It’s form of loopy, to be trustworthy, fairly surreal. Simply making an attempt to be grateful, simply benefit from it — clearly, you don’t know when alternatives like this are ever going to come back round once more.”

It’s definitely been an thrilling couple of months for Sam Hauser. He loved a storybook ending to his breakout 2024 season, and signed a contract extension with the Celtics only a few weeks after the parade.

The long-term deal to maintain him in Boston was removed from a positive factor within the eyes of the general public — Hauser might have turn out to be a free agent subsequent summer season, and with the Celtics payroll quickly growing, it wasn’t clear that he would

Final month in Las Vegas, Celtics assistant coach D.J. MacLeay obtained emotional when requested about Hauser’s extension, saying it crammed him with “immense pleasure.”

Hauser smiled when requested about that second, noting that he noticed the video on Twitter.

“It’s actually cool,” he stated. “I simply performed for the love of the sport, and that is generally simply the good thing about that. Fairly particular that they gave me a possibility early on when no person else did, and I simply tried to run with it. They believed in me, and I’m simply glad I could possibly be right here and be with this workforce and have one other probability to win all of it.”

Hauser’s removed from the one Celtic who obtained their massive payday this summer season. Jayson Tatum signed his 5-year, $314 million supermax extension, whereas Derrick White signed a four-year, $126 million contract extension. Neemias Queta, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman all signed minimal offers to return to Boston, and two-way gamers JD Davison and Drew Peterson signed to new two-ways as effectively. The one member from final 12 months’s group that signed with one other workforce is Svi Mykhailiuk, who lately signed a 4-year, $15 million contract with the Jazz.

“It’s fairly loopy that we have been in a position to deliver everybody again,” Hauser stated. “Everyone needed to be again and needed to strive to do that once more. I’m glad the entrance workplace was in a position to make it work.”

Now, the workforce’s consideration turns to subsequent season. Hauser stated that about 75% of followers on the meet-and-greet requested him in regards to the pursuit of a championship in 2025.

“I feel everyone’s fairly proud of how everyone is staying in Boston,” Hauser stated. “We will compete once more collectively for one more 12 months. Clearly, we’ve got quite a bit to construct off of. It’ll be enjoyable.”