Anton Watson finished his college career as one of the winningest players in Gonzaga men’s basketball program history. The Boston Celtics probably knew that when they selected the Spokane native with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
On the court, Watson’s defensive versatility made him Mark Few’s “problem solver,” as the 6-foot-8 forward could guard multiple positions and embraced matchups against the opponent’s biggest offensive threat. Offensively he excelled at timely cuts along the baseline or from the perimeter, while his improvements as a passer were quite noticeable as a fifth-year senior. The athleticism might not stand out to some, but the results from the G League Elite Camp would suggest it’s trending in the right direction.
Above all else though, Watson’s win-loss record spoke volumes about his impact on the Zags’ success. In five seasons (though he only played 15 games as a freshman due to a shoulder injury), the Gonzaga Prep product amassed a 132-19 (.870) record and played in four Sweet 16 games, two Elite Eight games, a Final Four and a National Championship game and set the program record for steals in the NCAA Tournament (21).
“He’s been such an unsung hero of this program,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Watson after a win over Portland on Feb. 23. “He’s such a winner. He’s a winner and he’s a great teammate. He’s just the perfect guy you want in your program. Obviously when you’re at Gonzaga you really want him in your program because we’ve valued everything Anton’s done.”
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Now Watson goes from one winning culture to the next, as he makes the move to Boston just nine days after the franchise won its NBA-leading 18th championship in a 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Led by All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were undoubtedly the best team in the league all season long en route to an overall record of 80-21 (64-16 in the regular season, 16-3 in the playoffs). That .792 winning percentage is the second-best in team history behind only the legendary 1985-86 championship team that went 82-18 (.820).
Boston figures to be among the favorites to go back-to-back with most of the cast returning for the 2024-25 season, which could limit Watson’s playing opportunities as a rookie. Brad Stevens, the mastermind behind the Celtics’ title run as the de facto general manager, made it clear prior to the draft that any player he took with the No. 30 pick (which ended up being Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman) or the No. 54 pick (Watson) would have a difficult time finding playing time in year one.
“It will be hard for any draft pick to crack our rotation when healthy,” Stevens said. “And so, we’ll think about how we can best continue to invest in young players and their development and growth, with the reality that, if we’re able to continue to move forward with this group, that these guys are going to be on the court. So, this will be a good opportunity again to bring in somebody who we think will help us down the road.”
That said, it’s likely Watson spends most of his rookie season developing with Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
Though his name didn’t appear on most mock drafts, Watson’s strengths as a two-way player made him a trendy pick to go late in the second round. He has the size and strength to match up with bruising forwards and centers, while still nimble and agile enough to defend smaller guards on the perimeter. Watson’s offensive game didn’t get to shine over some of his other NBA teammates at Gonzaga, though the full repertoire was on display throughout his fifth year with six 20-point games, including two 32-point outings against UCLA and Santa Clara.
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Even so, scouts and general managers needed to see more consistency from behind the arc. Watson shot a career-best 41.2% from 3-point range on limited volume (1.5 attempts per game) in 2023-24.
“[NBA scouts and general managers] kind of said, to find my place in the league or my calling card is gonna be like one of those guys that does a little bit of everything,” Watson said. “They’ve seen that I’ve improved from the 3-point line, but they want me to take more of them.”
Watson’s first opportunity will come next month at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he figures to earn valuable reps with some of Boston’s other young talent. Granted Watson is already older than his new Celtics teammates JD Davidson, Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer, but the 23-year-old is far from a finished product on the basketball court. It just might take some time before the rest of the league notices.
“His game, to me, fits the modern NBA,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said on Gonzaga Nation. “He’s so versatile defensively, he can do a lot of different things on offense. His shooting has really progressed, it’s going to have to continue to progress. Where the NBA is right now, fits Anton Watson.”
BOSTON (WHDH) – The maker of the online learning platform Canvas has reportedly reached a deal wit the hackers who took down the site last week to get their data back.
The company did not reveal what was given to the hackers in exchange for the return of more than 275 million users’ data, but said they confirmed the data was detroyed.
Canvas was down for several hours last week because of the cyberattack.
The hacking group said nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were impacted, including Harvard University.
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They said they accessed billions of private messages and personal information.
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Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
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This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.
“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.
She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.
“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.
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Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.
He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.
An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.
Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.
Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.
Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.
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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay.The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.
The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.
State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.
Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.
Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.
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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
