NBC will cover Bird's return to the Hub

["Belanger,Roger" <rbelange@foxboro.com>]

Here is a tidbit from todays Boston Globe page:

NBC will cover Bird's return to the Hub 

By Howard Manly, Globe Staff, 07/23/97 



The return to Boston of Larry Bird as coach of the Indiana Pacers will
be nationally televised on NBC. 



The Pacers and Celtics square off at the Fleet Center Jan. 18 at noon.
The second game of the doubleheader features Houston at Chicago. 



The network released its 1997-98 NBA schedule yesterday, and unless the
Celtics make the playoffs, the Jan. 18 game will be their only NBC
appearance. They will be on TNT five times: against Chicago Oct. 31,
against New Jersey Nov. 21, against Charlotte Dec. 23, against Utah
March 4, and at Orlando April 1. 



``Several factors come into play when we are deciding what games to air
on television,'' NBC spokeswoman Jennifer Arnold said. ``With Larry Bird
returning to Boston to face a new Celtics team under Rick Pitino, the
match is too intriguing to pass up.'' 



The Celtics appeared on NBC last season in a regionally televised game
against former University of Massachusetts coach John Calipari and the
New Jersey Nets Feb. 23. 



The last time the Celtics appeared on a national telecast was Jan. 30,
1994, against the Phoenix Suns at Boston Garden. 



This story ran on page F06 of the Boston Globe on 07/23/97. 
© Copyright 1997 Globe Newspaper Company.