RE: Antoine

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

Pitino on the A.W. Contract issue



Rick Pitino said Wednesday he doesn't think it will necessarily take a 
market-value contract to get Antoine Walker to remain with the Celtics.

"We're going to sign him to a new contract is what we're going to do," 
Pitino said of Walker, whom the club can sign to an extension this summer 
and who can be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 1999.

"We feel very confident that we will re-sign Antoine Walker. He wants to be 
a Boston Celtic, and we want him to remain a Boston Celtic and captain. So 
we feel -- all of us from the owner on down -- very positive about signing 
Antoine Walker."

When the issue of market rate (Kevin Garnett got some $120 million for a 
six-year extension this past summer) was discussed, Pitino talked about 
sense more than dollars.

"We're going to make him an opportunity where he won't have to worry about 
money," the coach and president said. "That's something you're looking for. 
You're looking for financial security and happiness, and he'll accomplish 
both things."

Players, however, are known for keeping score by how their deal ranks with 
others at their skill level.

"Well, we're not going to get into that game at all," Pitino said. "Antoine 
Walker here is the focal part of our offense. He's the focal part of our 
basketball team, and certainly to me that's much more important. When you 
get to a certain point on how much you make and keeping score that way, I'd 
rather keep score on the court than off the court."











On Sunday, January 18, 1998 5:39 PM, Nault [SMTP:rnault@ptialaska.net] 
wrote:
> Dave Wrote:
>
> >Boston forward Antoine Walker's 49 points on Washinton last week 
confirmed
> >his satatus as a conveted talent.  Chicago might be the Celtics' biggest
> >challenger to Walker, The player many GM's consider .... THE FUTURE.
>
> Please don't let the Bulls get Antoine Walker!  I would hate to see 
Antoine
> leave the Celtics at all, but if he has to go I hope it just isn't to
> Chicago!  The problem is though that he probably will leave for a few
> reasons.  First of all he doesn't like Rick Pitino's style and control 
over
> the team, which we have all heard, and second of all he will want (and 
get
> from somebody) a lot of money, and the Celtics may not be willing to dish
> out the amount that he wants.
>
> Tim
>
>
> rnault@ptialaska.net
>
> Visit the PatriotsPage at:
> http://www.ptialaska.net/~rnault/PatriotsPage.html
>
>