more idle rumors

[Marc Lamphier <lamphier@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp>]

Bird, Pitino talked: Subject:
  Becoming a team with Celtics

  By Peter May, Globe Staff, 04/03/97

  Larry Bird has talked to Kentucky coach Rick Pitino about
  coaching the Celtics and may have made other inquiries as
  well, sources told the Globe yesterday.

  The conversation with Pitino took place before Kentucky
  advanced to last weekend's NCAA Final Four, it was
  learned. According to sources, it was a conversation
  predicated on the supposition that Bird and Pitino would be
  working for the Celtics as a joint management team. Efforts
  to reach Bird were unsuccessful last night, but he has been
  vocal in his admiration for Pitino. Pitino has long expressed
  a desire to coach the Celtics, although he would not do so
  under the current corporate structure.

  According to sources, Bird was given the go-ahead to
  contact Pitino, as well as other prospective coaches, by
  Celtics chairman of the board Paul Gaston. Last night,
  reached at his Connecticut home, Gaston refused to
  comment.

  The Celtics have remained mum about their management
  team for next season. M.L. Carr, the current coach and
  director of basketball operations, has not said whether he
  will return to either job. However, he has regularly
  dismissed the ongoing Pitino rumors - ``It isn't happening,''
  he said at one point - and already has made plans for the
  Celtics' summer activities, indicating he may intend to stick
  around.

  Carr was asked about the possible Bird-Pitino management
  team last night. He also was asked how he felt about Bird
  receiving Gaston's permission to search for other coaches.

  ``We will not discuss personnel matters until the season
  winds down,'' he said.

*********

etc., from:

 http://www.boston.com/globe/spt/celts/cgi-bin/retrieve.cgi?%2Fglobe%2Fbgc%2
F093%2Fspt%2F001