--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I once heard that Paul Seymour said as…" description: "\"I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics lose a game after Auerbach brought out the cig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png" --- # I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an… ![“I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics lose a game after Auerbach brought out the cigar so he could go up to Arnold and stuff the cigar in his face.” quote by Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png) > “I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics lose a game after Auerbach brought out the cigar so he could go up to Arnold and stuff the cigar in his face.” [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Winning is celebrated, but watching rivals fail can be a personal, humorous joy. **In simple terms:** People enjoy seeing opponents lose. Key Takeaway Enjoy the sport’s humor. Themes competition humor sportsmanship Mood playful lighthearted Type sports cultural When to use this quote - basketball games - team rivalries - sports commentary Key Concepts rivalry dynamics celebration of defeat Questions to Reflect On - Why do we find pleasure in others’ setbacks? - How can rivalry stay positive? A Different Perspective Focusing on others’ loss can foster negativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Championship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) [Cigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigar/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [NBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba/) [Nba championships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba-championships/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [When the opportunity arose for me to join an organization like the Celtics, I could not refuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-o-neal/when-the-opportunity-arose-for-me-to-join-an-organization-like-the/) [Jermaine O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-o-neal/) > [I'm very proud to have been drafted by a great team like the Celtics. It's the kind of thing a fellow dreams of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-havlicek/i-m-very-proud-to-have-been-drafted-by-a-great-team-like-the-celtics/) [John Havlicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-havlicek/) > [When you look at the last 20 years in the NBA, there have been seven teams that have won the NBA championship. Six of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leonsis/when-you-look-at-the-last-20-years-in-the-nba-there-have-been-seven/) [Ted Leonsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leonsis/) > [I have short goals - to get better every day, to help my teammates every day - but my only ultimate goal is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/i-have-short-goals-to-get-better-every-day-to-help-my-teammates-every/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) > [Winning an NBA championship is the biggest thing that can happen professionally because it's the top. But representing your country-with more than 30 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/winning-an-nba-championship-is-the-biggest-thing-that-can-happen/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [Growing up, I always dreamed of winning an NBA championship, never a gold. A gold was something that never crossed my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/growing-up-i-always-dreamed-of-winning-an-nba-championship-never-a/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [Actually, Magic and the Lakers beat Philadelphia for Magic's first NBA Championship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-robertson/actually-magic-and-the-lakers-beat-philadelphia-for-magic-s-first-nba/) [Oscar Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-robertson/) > [I felt like we would have definitely won an NBA championship if everyone was healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyrie-irving/i-felt-like-we-would-have-definitely-won-an-nba-championship-if/) [Kyrie Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyrie-irving/) > [I got a goal, and it's a huge goal, and that's to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland, and I won't stop until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/i-got-a-goal-and-it-s-a-huge-goal-and-that-s-to-bring-an-nba/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) > [It takes a number of critical factors to win an NBA championship, including the right mix of talent, creativity, intelligence, toughness, and of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/it-takes-a-number-of-critical-factors-to-win-an-nba-championship/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Give me about 10 years, I'm going to run for President. If I can squeeze in an NBA championship before that, I'll do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/give-me-about-10-years-i-m-going-to-run-for-president-if-i-can/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [“One of the thousand reasons I quit going to the theater when I was about twenty was that I resented like hell filing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/one-of-the-thousand-reasons-i-quit-going-to-the-theater-when-i-was/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Most guys in my position don't get drafted to such a high-caliber team like the Celtics, so it makes me work harder because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-tatum/most-guys-in-my-position-don-t-get-drafted-to-such-a-high-caliber/) [Jayson Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-tatum/) > [I love team environments, like the Celtics, the Bruins. I love going into the locker room and meeting these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/i-love-team-environments-like-the-celtics-the-bruins-i-love-going/) [Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/) > [“Seymour once said to me — in a crosstown bus, of all places — that all legitimate religious study must lead to unlearning the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/seymour-once-said-to-me-in-a-crosstown-bus-of-all-places-that-all/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) ## More by Bob Cousy > [I had endured six years of frustration so I think winning it all meant more to me than most of the others on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/i-had-endured-six-years-of-frustration-so-i-think-winning-it-all/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [My biggest win was getting the meal money bumped from $5 to $7.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/my-biggest-win-was-getting-the-meal-money-bumped-from-5-to-7/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [Back then every small town had a gym, and if itseated more than 2,000 then we'd be interested in playing in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/back-then-every-small-town-had-a-gym-and-if-itseated-more-than-2-000/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [People have been killing because of racial differences since the time of Adam and Eve, but in this country racism has been primarily aimed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/people-have-been-killing-because-of-racial-differences-since-the-time/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [We hung out on the streets, played stickball, and did all of the things that other kids did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/we-hung-out-on-the-streets-played-stickball-and-did-all-of-the-things/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [Kerner decided to trade my rights to the Chicago Stags, which sounded better to me than Tri-Cities, but the Stags folded up almost immediately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/kerner-decided-to-trade-my-rights-to-the-chicago-stags-which-sounded/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [Do your best when no one is looking. If you do that, then you can be successful in anything that you put your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/do-your-best-when-no-one-is-looking-if-you-do-that-then-you-can-be/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [We played every night. Sometimes we'd stay overnight after a game, but we'd usually drive on to our next destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/we-played-every-night-sometimes-we-d-stay-overnight-after-a-game-but/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [My family was poor, my father drove a cab for a living, but we felt normal because everybody else was in the same boat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/my-family-was-poor-my-father-drove-a-cab-for-a-living-but-we-felt/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [The MVP award was very satisfying in terms of personal accomplishments, but the championship was the most important thing of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/the-mvp-award-was-very-satisfying-in-terms-of-personal/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [It also didn't take me long to decide that Tri-Cities wasn't for me, and that I wasn't going to go there to play basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/it-also-didn-t-take-me-long-to-decide-that-tri-cities-wasn-t-for-me/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [Do your best when no one is looking. If you do that, then you can be successful at anything you put your mind to](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/do-your-best-when-no-one-is-looking-if-you-do-that-then-you-can-be-2/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [French was my first language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/french-was-my-first-language/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [Every jock gets up and tells the world how lucky he is. But I feel that I may be the luckiest one of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/every-jock-gets-up-and-tells-the-world-how-lucky-he-is-but-i-feel/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [But in fairness also to the idea of continuing success, you also have to exploit opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/but-in-fairness-also-to-the-idea-of-continuing-success-you-also-have/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) [Explore all 39 Bob Cousy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) ## More Celtics quotes > [I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-lived-to-play-basketball-growing-up-as-a-kid-bill-russell-and-the/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [I'm obviously very grateful to play for a sports organization like the Boston Celtics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajon-rondo/i-m-obviously-very-grateful-to-play-for-a-sports-organization-like/) [Rajon Rondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajon-rondo/) > [“Who could better motivate Bill Russell than Bill Russell?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/who-could-better-motivate-bill-russell-than-bill-russell/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [Couldnt you wait until at least the All-Star break to have the franchise suffer its worse loss in its storied history? Bill Russell just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/couldnt-you-wait-until-at-least-the-all-star-break-to-have-the/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [Celtics coming into our house tomorrow… Y'all gonna get loud for us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-rose/celtics-coming-into-our-house-tomorrow-y-all-gonna-get-loud-for-us/) [Derrick Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-rose/) > [The Celtics have always had an older person to try to pass along some of the team philosophy. I've learned to fill that role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-havlicek/the-celtics-have-always-had-an-older-person-to-try-to-pass-along-some/) [John Havlicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-havlicek/) > [The Celtics don't celebrate anything but championships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/the-celtics-don-t-celebrate-anything-but-championships/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I love the fact that, if I don't win multiple championships, that I probably won't be mentioned amongst the other guys in Celtics history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-love-the-fact-that-if-i-don-t-win-multiple-championships-that-i/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [“When I got Traded To The Celtics, I was so Happy Because I was Back home And Had Grown Up Idolizing The Celtics”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-herren/when-i-got-traded-to-the-celtics-i-was-so-happy-because-i-was-back/) [Chris Herren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-herren/) > [There was a time period where I was obsessed with the rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics in the 1980s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/there-was-a-time-period-where-i-was-obsessed-with-the-rivalry-between/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [One of the biggest reasons I bought the Lakers was to beat the Celtics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-buss/one-of-the-biggest-reasons-i-bought-the-lakers-was-to-beat-the-celtics/) [Jerry Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-buss/) > [If somebody says Kyrie Irving wants the Boston Celtics to win the championship without him, they're flat-out lying to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalen-rose/if-somebody-says-kyrie-irving-wants-the-boston-celtics-to-win-the/) [Jalen Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalen-rose/) > [I'm just very happy that the Celtics really take the time and they consider us not only as players, but as people, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-horford/i-m-just-very-happy-that-the-celtics-really-take-the-time-and-they/) [Al Horford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-horford/) > [I have always wanted to be part of something special, and when I got to Boston.. actually, when I bought, begged and pleaded my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-have-always-wanted-to-be-part-of-something-special-and-when-i-got/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [I'm not a superman with a cape, I'm only a basketball player for the Celtics. But if I can make one child smile, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-smart/i-m-not-a-superman-with-a-cape-i-m-only-a-basketball-player-for-the/) [Marcus Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-smart/) Browse all 63 Celtics quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics lose a game after Auerbach brought out the cigar so he could go up to Arnold and stuff the cigar in his face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Cousy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-much-as-winning-an-nba/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Celtics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-much-as-winning-an-nba/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2be/bob-cousy-16775_celtics_i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-m_1024302.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I once heard that Paul Seymour said as much as winning an NBA Championship, he'd like to see the Celtics…” — Bob Cousy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Cousy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I once heard that Paul Seymour...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-much-as-winning-an-nba/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/i-once-heard-that-paul-seymour-said-as-much-as-winning-an-nba/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```