Boston Globe

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

Hi gang,

Here is an interesting article from today's Boston Globe for those
without access to their WEB site.

Enjoy,

Roger B.




CELTICS NOTEBOOK
Walker says he wants to stay 

By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 01/30/98 



WALTHAM - He may have said it because it is the polite thing to say. But
he did say it. And, theoretically, he said it for the nation to hear.
During a teleconference with national media yesterday, Antoine Walker
was asked about possibly leaving Boston. 



''I want to be a Celtic for the rest of my life,'' he said. ''I don't
want to play anywhere else in my career.'' Later he added that he didn't
''want to be one of those guys that bounces from team to team.''



This summer the Celtics and Walker have a chance to negotiate a lengthy
and pricey contract extension. If they don't complete it by Oct. 1,
Walker will be a free agent at the end of the 1998-99 season. 



But that didn't seem to be on the All-Star forward's agenda yesterday.
He didn't say anything close to controversial. He was even in a
forgiving mood. Someone asked about the ''hostile'' fans in Salt Lake
City, where Walker was hit on the head with a battery last season. He
said he wasn't sure if the battery toss was intentional and concluded
that the Delta Center is simply a difficult place to play, mostly
because of the Jazz, not the fans. 



Walker also mentioned that the people of New England ''have been great
to me'' and that putting on a Celtic uniform is a special thing. Maybe
that won't mean anything when it's time to talk dollars. But Rick Pitino
certainly hopes so. 

A good deal



Walker talked with several people when he was named to the All-Star team
Tuesday. One of them was M.L. Carr, whom he thanked for working with him
and drafting him. Walker knows now that Carr sat in the Celtic offices
during the summer of 1996 plotting ways to move from draft position No.
9 to No. 6 so he could get Walker or Ray Allen. He got Walker in what
may rank as the third-best trade in team history, behind deals for Bill
Russell (1956) and Kevin McHale-Robert Parish (1980) ... Pitino thinks
John Thomas will be even better once he works with the team during the
summer. Thomas, the 6-foot-9-inch rookie forward, set his career high in
minutes (23) Wednesday night and collected 12 points, seven rebounds,
and a blocked shot. Asked who Thomas is going to be when he becomes a
more mature player, Pitino answered, ''Wayne Embry,'' referring to the
similarly built Celtic backup center of the late 1960s ... Celtics
second-round draft pick Ben Pepper has a familiar teammate in the
National Basketball League of Australia. It is Nate ''Grave'' Driggers,
whose Celtic career lasted 15 games last season. 



This story ran on page E03 of the Boston Globe on 01/30/98. 
© Copyright 1998 Globe Newspaper Company.