date published: November 20, 2006

Wally Szczerbiak 
by Josh B. Wardrop

Acquired in a January trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, forward Wally Szczerbiak has emerged as a veteran presence and reliable scorer for the Boston Celtics. As the Green prepare to take on the New York Knicks November 24 and the New Jersey Nets November 29, Szczerbiak talks with Panorama about his new team and city.

Q: Following the trade, what were your initial impressions of the Celtics and Boston?
A: I was very pleasantly surprised at how professional the organization is, and how knowledgeable the fans were. This is definitely a sports town, which I figured out right away.

Q: Now that you’re settled in, have you found any favorite spots in Boston?
A: Honestly, I still haven’t gotten to know a lot of places. Legal Sea Foods is great—I kinda miss Red Lobster, though (laughs). I really don’t go out much. I’ve just spent time with my family getting settled in our house.

Q: Being a veteran on a pretty young team, is it your responsibility to pass on what you’ve learned in the NBA?
A: I just try to lead by example. I’ve been successful in this league for seven years because I come to work every day and try to bring a consistent effort every game. Hopefully that filters down to the young guys.

Q: You had knee surgery late last season. How’re you feeling now?
A: Everything’s good. It’s something we just gotta monitor throughout the season, but I should be fine. Last season, I never really had my usual movement, so I think I’ll be more of a complete player this year.

Q: The season’s started a bit rough. Still optimistic about this team’s chances?
A: Definitely. It’s a challenge, but we got a lot of hungry guys here, and guys are playing hard and working hard. The competitiveness and the drive are absolutely there.