Sam Griesel talks Celtics summer league invite, faith and life after Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Former Nebraska basketball standout Sam Griesel has been in Boston the last few days, training with the Celtics ahead of the NBA summer league.

The Lincoln native got the invite to play in the Celtics summer league this month, and Griesel is one of just two rookies on the roster.

“I’m really excited. I never saw myself in this position for sure,” Griesel said. “Like I’ve said countless times, Nebraska was kind of the pinnacle of my – no pun intended – the pinnacle of my dreams, and I never really got this far.”

Griesel and the Celtics begin playing on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Griesel said he’s soaking in everything he can from coaches and older players while also enjoying sightseeing around Boston.

“Just talking to the coaches, I feel like I’m getting better every day and just getting more and more comfortable around the guys and my role on the team and stuff like that,” he said.

Griesel was a strong presence on the court for the Huskers last season, known for his leadership and do-it-all attitude, averaging 12 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Griesel described his role with the Celtics as a “little bit different” than what Husker fans may be used to seeing out of him.

Due to the level of talent, he said he’s “more of an off the ball catch and shoot, slashing, defending type of a role.”

“I’m going to do what I do and be on the floor and make a lot of the hustle plays and do whatever I can to stay on the floor,” he said. “And if I’m not on the floor, I’m going to be the best teammate I can be.”

Griesel said he talks daily with Husker coach Fred Hoiberg and assistant coach Nate Loenser, crediting a lot of his preparedness to Hoiberg’s system.

“I think playing under Fred and that whole system really helped me, you know, prepare me for this level of basketball,” he said. “Just kind of how the team was ran offensively, especially just different concepts and terminology, really helped me.”

Despite the expected pressure to parlay a great summer showing into a training camp invite and potentially a roster spot, Griesel is taking things day by day and finding calm through his faith.

“As long as I can control what I can control, that’s all I can ask for,” he said. “So I feel like that’s kind of how I’ve gotten to this point. I have my grounding with my relationship with God, and whatever happens in my life happens.”

Remembering that there’s ultimately more to life than basketball has served Griesel well, he said.

“I serve a higher purpose than just being a basketball player, and I feel like me focusing on that side of things has propelled my basketball career into what it is today,” Griesel said.