BULPETT: NO WALKER CONTRACT UNTIL AFTER THE C.B.A. IS SETTLED

[witchcraft1998@hotmail.com (Witch)]

In what could be a move of disastrous proportions, the Celtics are holding from 
discussing a new contract with Antoine Walker until after the C.B.A. is 
negotiated.  As Bulpett says in today's Boston Herald:

"The Celtics have tabled their internal discussion on a new contract for 
Antoine Walker, deciding to wait out the collective bargaining negotiations and
face the music later.

"Owner Paul Gaston was in Boston for a meeting with Rick Pitino and staff this 
week, and while it is clear Gaston wishes to keep a new deal for Walker out of 
the stratosphere, the final call on high he is willing to go was put off.

"'I can't really tell where it's at,' said Pitino.  'We just figures we'd wait 
until we saw what was in the new collective bargaining agreement before we 
strategize what we're going to do.  We decided we wouldn't really deal with it 
until then.'

"The Celtics would like to deal with Walker and his off season plans, but word 
from Chicago, his hometown, is that he has been unavailable to strength and 
conditioning coach Shaun Brown.  Pitino said Walker has spoken only to 
equipment and travel coordinator John Connor, Walker's constant shooting 
opponent in practice.

"The coach added that he hopes Walker will be in Boston around the time of the 
NBA draft (June 24th), when other Celtic veterans will be in for workouts to 
gauge their progress.

"While Eric Williams was traded away for missing appointments with Brown, 
Pitino is clearly giving his star some room.

"'He always comes in shape,' Pitino said.  'That's Antoine.

"'He's more of a basketball player than anything else.  He's not really a 
religious workout person, but he comes ready to play basketball.  You can't 
really gripe, because here's a guy who practices every day and plays 82 games.
We don't really have to be as concerned with him as with other people.'"

WC