The latest from Indiana

[jan crocker <pravda@tiac.net>]

I nearly threw up my wheaties when I came across this report out of
Indianapolis. Thought I would share it with you:



By Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star/News 

      INDIANAPOLIS (April 27, 1997) -- Does Larry Bird
      want to hire Larry Brown as coach of the Boston Celtics?
      Or does he want to replace him as coach of the Indiana
      Pacers? 

      The intrigue heightened over the weekend after Bird had
      dinner with Pacers president Donnie Walsh at the
      Keystone Grill to discuss the possibility of coaching the
      Pacers, should Brown step down. 

      "I'm not talking about anything," Walsh said Sunday. "I
      have no comment about all this stuff." 

      Bird, a native of West Baden, Ind., who was an
      All-American at Indiana State, left Indianapolis Sunday
      morning, and couldn't be reached for comment. But there
      are strong indications that the Pacers coaching position is
      his for the asking, if Brown relinquishes it. 

      "If he wants to coach, then we would have a lot of
      interest," Walsh said last week. "But he might not want to
      coach." 

      Bird, who lives in Naples, Fla., has worked as a "special
      consultant" for the Celtics since retiring in 1992, a job that
      has consisted primarily of scouting college players. He
      made a five-year commitment to the Celtics at the time of
      his retirement that he would not take another
      basketball-related position, but that agreement expires this
      summer. 

      Bird has stated in recent weeks that he wants to move out
      of Naples, and he has expressed a desire to return to a
      fulltime basketball-related job. Most of the speculation has
      focused on his return to the Celtics, but the Celtics have
      not fired M.L. Carr, who has the dual role of coach and
      director of basketball operations. 

      Bird has stated he has no interest in coaching the Celtics,
      but he did not rule out coaching another team. His interest
      in coaching the Pacers is viewed by some as a means of
      pressuring the Celtics into bringing him into their front
      office, but he also has talked of wanting to rear his family in
      Indiana. 

      With the Pacers trying to gain approval from the city for
      construction of a facility to replace Market Square Arena,
      hiring Bird could have enormous public relations value. It is
      believed Pacers owners Herb Simon and Mel Simon have
      great interest in hiring Bird if Brown resigns. 

      Brown's status should become clear in a few days. He
      plans to return to Indianapolis Wednesday morning on an
      overnight flight from Los Angeles and meet with Walsh that
      day. 

      "One way or another, I want to get this thing going in the
      right direction," Brown said Sunday from his Malibu home. 

      "If I do decide to leave, I don't want them (the Pacers) to
      lose out on an opportunity they might have to hire someone
      else. And if I do stay, I don't want other teams to lose out."

      Brown had planned to meet with Celtics board chairman
      Paul Gaston in the Los Angeles area today, but that
      meeting has been postponed -- at Gaston's request,
      according to Boston media reports. Brown also has talked
      with Philadelphia 76ers owner Pat Croce a few times by
      telephone but said he wants to resolve his situation with the
      Pacers before meeting with anyone from another team. 

      "What's the sense of talking if I'm not going to be leaving?"
      Brown said. 

      "I have to decide first with Donnie what the best thing for
      the Pacers is right now, me included. I don't have a job in
      place. I have opportunities if I want, but it's hard to talk
      opportunities when you haven't resolved your situation. I
      want to make sure I do it right." 

      Brown is thought to have received inquiries from other
      NBA teams but is focusing his attention on Boston and
      Philadelphia, with the Celtics thought to be the
      front-runner. 

      The Celtics finished with the worst record (15-57) in
      franchise history this season but have the means to overhaul
      their roster. Ten of their players are free agents, and they
      have two lottery picks in the upcoming draft. 

      Philadelphia finished 22-60, the third-worst record in
      franchise history but has less flexibility with its roster. Nine
      of its players are on guaranteed contracts. The 76ers,
      however, might offer Brown a chance to assume the role of
      coach and general manager, a role he covets as long as he
      doesn't have to negotiate contracts. 

      "I'm not going to be talking to everybody," Brown said. "I
      know what I have. They (the Celtics and 76ers) called and
      asked to talk to me. They're both appealing, they're young
      teams and there's great tradition there."