More ML musings

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@MIT.EDU>]

Carr stays the course: Rumors aren't
                    rocking his boat

                    By Peter May, Globe Staff, 04/08/97

                    WALTHAM - M.L. Carr isn't losing a second of sleep over
the recent
                    revelations that the Celtics are checking out coaching
candidates. He may
                    even have sanctioned the activity himself.

                    As the Celtics continue to take hits from within and
without, the main
                    target is not visibly concerned or upset. Yesterday,
after a short practice
                    at Brandeis, Carr refused to respond to the charges
made by Larry Bird
                    and Rick Pitino that the team needs to clean its house.
He did say,
                    however, that he finds it strange that people are
interested in getting
                    involved now.

                    ``When you are going through rough waters, as we have
been doing this
                    season, you can capsize. Devastating things can
happen,'' he said. ``But
                    we have made it through the rough waters. There is more
work ahead,
                    but there also is clear sailing. Quite frankly, when we
were going
                    through rough waters, I only saw one guy on the boat.
Now, everyone
                    wants to be out there on the boat because everyone
likes to be out on a
                    clear, bright sailing day.''

                    Carr once again did not get into any personnel issues.
Once the season
                    concludes, the changes, if there are any, will be
announced. In the
                    meantime, there will be no return of fire from the
powerful hoop el jefe
                    even as Pitino makes his way through town to promote
his book and
                    discuss why he wants to stay at Kentucky instead of
taking an NBA job
                    he always said he wanted.

                    ``It's just not appropriate,'' Carr said. ``All I know
is where the
                    organization was and where it is now. I would rather
take the hits for the
                    betterment of the organization. Paul [Gaston] and I
have remained on the
                    same page.''

                    Carr was asked if he was personally hurt by some of the
comments.

                    ``I don't waver,'' he said. ``Behind all the veneer is
a very calculating
                    person. I'm not someone who is as emotional as I was
when I was a
                    player. I'm very calculating. I feel I have a very
clear vision of what we
                    need to do to get the team to the next level.

                    ``I don't succumb to pressure. I don't do that. I get a
stronger resolve
                    when the pressure is tougher. I think that's what the
organization
                    needed.''

                    Carr noted that the ``business'' side of the Celtics is
as strong as ever and
                    that the team is flush.

                    ``Paul has done that,'' Carr said. ``Now, the
basketball side is coming
                    back. People are excited. There is a perception out
there that is not
                    reality.

                    ``But it's not appropriate to talk about me,'' Carr
continued. ``This kid ...
                    has been knocked down and has gotten up every time. It
has been a long
                    journey ... and the journey is not over. We'll worry
about M.L. later. At
                    some point later on, I will have a response. But not
now.''

                    The Celtics have gone to court to notify authorities
how they plan to
                    handle a child support issue involving Greg Minor. Last
month, Minor's
                    former girlfriend and the mother of their three
children, Celestyne
                    Rowan, got a Kentucky court to increase child support
payments from
                    $4,500 a month to $30,000. Minor, who earns close to $2
million a
                    year, is appealing the increase and is not liable for
the larger figure until
                    the appeal is heard. The Celtics, under court order to
set aside the
                    $30,000, informed Suffolk County Superior Court that
they will hold
                    the money in escrow until the appeal is decided,
probably next month.
                    Last July, Minor agreed to enter a counseling program
for batterers to
                    avoid trial on charges of assaulting Rowan. At the
time, there was no
                    talk of dissolving the relationship; Rowan even agreed
to a stipulation
                    that she could continue to see Minor. The counseling
program lasts one
                    year, and if Minor completes it, the fourth-degree
assault charges will be
                    dismissed. Minor has been injured all season and has
missed 53 of the
                    Celtics' 75 games ... Eric Williams shot around
yesterday and hopes his
                    bruised right knee has healed sufficiently to allow him
to play tomorrow
                    night against the Hornets. The Celtics again didn't
have enough healthy
                    bodies for a full practice and will not work out today
... Antoine Walker
                    is shooting 80 percent from the line in the month of
April, which covers
                    four games. That has raised his overall percentage to
62.6 percent ...
                    Former player-turned-referee Leon Wood was one of the
three officials
                    in Sunday's game against the Bullets. It's the first
time the Celtics have
                    seen him this season, and they now can say they've lost
a game before
                    every NBA ref except one: Jim Kinsey.


tjoyce@mit.edu