Hanging out with ML

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

So last night I volunteered to take tickets for an event related to my job.
Michael Dell from Dell Computers was speaking and I thought it might be
interesting. In walks ML Carr, VP Business Development for the Boston
Celtics. He was there to meet Dell and give him a packet of information
from the Celtics. He could have cared less about the event itself, but he
had to wait around for Dell, who is a billionaire 15 times over, to arrive.

So I hung out with him. I must say I had mixed emotions intially, but then
he started giving me information AND he was a genuinely nice guy so I left
with a positive opinion of him as a person.

He was with a woman described to me as "this young lady right here takes
care of Antoine. She's like his mother." She didn't look like anyone's
mother. What information could they offer?

1. Antoine wants to stay with the Celtics, but the "coach doesn't want him.
No one can be bigger than the coach and Antoine is getting too big for the
coach." Antoine is "a good guy, doesn't bother anyone and does a lot for
the community. He's a good kid."

2. Pierce is the real deal.

3. When I told him that I even watched the Celtics during the 15 win
season, he said, "but that was by design." For what, I asked?  "To get
Timmy."  Then I asked him if he had heard about Duncan's disparaging
remarks....he had. I told him to give Duncan a hard time next time he's in
town.

4. He named Anderson, Pierce, Mercer and Antoine as the team to build
around. When I asked him about a center....I remarked the Andrew D. is not
the answer, although a hustling guy, he said, "he tries, but he doesn't
have it at this level."

There's probably more than I am remembering right now.

He also talked about his son who wants to go to law school (was supposed to
play ball for Princeton, but got hit by a car the day the season started so
he gave up the game). Smart kid though.

He signed an autograph for a friend of mine who was a high school women's
basketball star when Ewing was at Camridge Rindge and Latin and he was
gracious about it. She was quite nervous and he handled it well.

Anyway, of all of the famous people I have ever met, this man put me more
at ease than anyone. He was just a regular guy who talked to me like we
were old friends. He told me, "hey, I'm just here to shake the guy's hand
(Dell)." I was impressed by his person even if he can't coach basketball.

Theresa