On Boston’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers and the lingering pain: “I was depressed for a while and my teammates would echo the same sentiment. I couldn’t sleep. Everything emotionally and physically went into what we were doing… You don’t want to go outside and there’s nothing really you can do that will satisfy you. But just being around family and friends, enjoying the summer. For me, I’m just getting to the point where my body has started to heal itself. Mentally, I’m starting to work out again, running on the street. But it never leaves you, it hurts all summer.”

I hate that the Celtics lost. Despise it. It was sort of similar to sticking nine-inch nails through each one of your eyelids.

But to see how much Ray and his teammates care? It just makes me love the Celtics more. I mean, you see other teams get erased from the playoffs and it doesn’t affect them much. But Ray “was depressed for a while.” He couldn’t sleep. It hurts him all summer. It never leaves him.

Can’t the season just start today? I’m fired up. I want revenge on the Lakers and I want to take down the Three A-Me-goes.

P.S. – Ray also said this: “We still have a great opportunity. I know Kevin [Garnett], he’ll have some good time to rest his leg and come back stronger, healthier; the same thing with Paul [Pierce] and our young guys are getting better. There wasn’t a better situation for me.”