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Celtics pull out the big guns: Tom Brady helped recruit Kevin Durant

Tom Brady was part of the entourage that tried to lure Kevin Durant to the Boston Celtics.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff file/Boston Globe

The Celtics have stayed mostly mum about their delegation that met with free agent forward Kevin Durant on Saturday evening.

But a picture posted online Saturday appeared show one very special guest. In the picture, which was posted to Imgur.com, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and team co-owner Steve Pagliuca were joined by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

A league source who is in the Hamptons for Durant’s meeting with the Celtics verified that Brady was there and part of the pitch to lure Durant to Boston.

“Tom did a very good job today,” a league source said.

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The Celtics meeting with Durant ended just before 7 p.m. Saturday.

“Durant’s favorite athlete,” the source said of Brady in a text message.

Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk and guard Marcus Smart were walking in the background in the picture. The group was walking past CittaNuova, a restaurant in East Hampton, N.Y. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas and forward Jae Crowder are also part of the group making the pitch, league sources said.

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz made his pitch on behalf of Boston via Twitter, about a half hour before the Sox game against the Angels Saturday night.


Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.