Ross McMains: Worldwide perspective collides with an eternal joy

When Svi Mykhailiuk comes out to warm up before Boston Celtics games, he follows the same routine, and it all starts with a trick shot. He’ll grab a ball from the rack at half-court and take a stand-still hook.

One day, he nailed it, but no one caught it on camera. Mykhailiuk pointed over, pleading for me to have gotten the shot on video, but my phone was down.

A few moments later, player development coach Ross McMains stepped onto the hardwood. He started chatting with Mykhailiuk, and the Celtics wing revealed that he had finally made the shot. But McMains didn’t believe him.

He asked if it was on film, but no dice. No proof meant no credit.

Not long after that, on one of Mykhailiuk’s next few…