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Profile Of Jersey Joe Idaho - Pitino Butt Boy/Celtics Team Services Director
Comrade to Jersey Red and Antoine Walker...
[newStandard---------------copyright1996
It's back to work for Celtics' Connor
By Dan Pires, Standard-Times
correspondent
When the NBA lockout was finally resolved
after 7½ months, there were understandably some
unhappy faces mixed in with the smiling ones.
On the other hand, New Bedford native and
Boston Celtics director of team services John
Connor was looking forward to getting back to
work.
Connor, better known as Johnny Joe Idaho
by his friends and golf pals, was happy to put
away his "sticks" and get back into the daily
grind that allowed him just 10 days off last
season, his first in the NBA.
"It's like a tornado right now," said the
erstwhile radio deejay. "With the lockout, I was
looking for things to do. There was a lot of down
time. (Celtics president and coach Rick Pitino)
took me to some nice golf courses like Winged
Foot and Valhalla. You go from that and to now
where everything is crammed.
"We're trying to book planes, hotels,
buses, uniforms, getting a roster together, and
finding practice gear," Connor said. "Now, the
sneaker companies are tighter than ever. There's
a lot of issues and a lot of headaches. All we
can do now is roll up our sleeves and try to go
get it."
While his activities end well short of
the parquet floor, Connor's responsibilities are
seemingly endless.
Connor, essentially, is the Celtics'
traveling secretary, equipment manager, travel
coordinator, food manager, practice coordinator
and forward Antoine Walker's personal sparring
partner -- on the hardwood, that is.
After scoring 49 points against the
Washington Wizards last year, Walker credited
Connor, a former high school player, for helping
him to hone his game.
"The extra shooting practice I'm getting
with Johnny Joe is paying off," Walker said at
the time.
Walker and Connor play one-on-one nearly
every day during the season.
The relationship between the two began
several years ago. When they first met, Walker
was playing for Pitino at the University of
Kentucky. Connor, at the time, was a guest of his
friend Ken "Jersey Red" Ford, Pitino's longtime
friend and soulmate.
"Going down to the UK games throughout
the years with Jersey and on my own, I got to
know the Kentucky players pretty good," Connor
said.
"During that time I've developed a pretty
good relationship with Antoine (Walker). We have
shooting matches all the time. We get a lot of
fun out of it. I'm not bragging but I usually
beat him. I was a below average basketball player
at (Bishop) Stang (High School) but I could
always shoot.
"When Antoine came in over the weekend,
we played eight games. I won five games right off
the bat and we pushed three. I told him 'I'm
five-and-0 baby.' He laughed and told me, 'It's a
long season.'"
The relationship between Connor and
Pitino dates back to when Pitino was coaching at
Providence College, and, with the help of Ford,
was a guest on Connor's radio talk program.
When Pitino moved on to the New York
Knicks and then to Kentucky, Connor still kept in
touch with the help of Ford. Little did he know
that as a result of this burgeoning friendship,
that he'd wind up working for his friend.
[Image] "I had a couple of opportunities to join
him down at UK as part of the staff," Connor
said.
"My wife's rooted up here and to tell you
the truth, I couldn't have pulled the trigger.
There was a part of me that wanted to and a part
of me that didn't want to. (Pitino's) always said
that if he went to the NBA, that I'd be with him.
We have a strong friendship. It just so happened
that we didn't have to move because he came to
Boston. But he got me a position that's designed
more to my strengths. Pitino was positive that I
would relate well with the players and that my
personality would be a plus. It's worked out to
be a dream situation. He's the best. He's
demanding. But, it hasn't affected our
friendship.
"He gets on me like he gets on anybody
else. We call it getting 'whacked.' I have my
share. On the other hand, he rewards you and he
strives for excellence."
While Connor hasn't been rewarded with
too much time off during the regular season, his
boss, during the lockout, made sure that Connor
got in some R-and-R with a chance to partake in
his favorite outdoor activity -- golf.
It was on vacation when he ran into two
of golf's biggest stars, Mark O'Meara and Tiger
Woods. Not only did he get a chance to meet them,
he also got to play alongside of them.
"I'm finishing up on the ninth (hole) and
they're putting out on the tenth," Connor said.
"O'Meara saw me and called me over. There was
nobody else around.
I was wearing a Celtics shirt and O'Meara
said that he was a Celtics' fan and Woods chirped
in that he was a Lakers' fan.
"It was just a thrill. I've broken 70
three times in my life. I was just hoping for
them to sign my card for me. I had an eagle and
birdied the last three holes. I told one of the
guys that if I broke my putt on the last hole
that I'd have a 69 with Tiger Woods and Mark
O'Meara's signature on it. I made it.
"The pro afterward told me (that Woods
and O'Meara) shot a 62 and a 63. I'm happy if I
shoot 77 or 78."
For now, the sticks have been put away
and it's been all business since 2 p.m. Thursday.
Now it's back to the whirlwind pace that has
become the NBA.
"Working in the NBA is a dream come true.
I wouldn't trade it in for anything in the
world," Connor added.
"I'm lucky I have a great wife ("Joanie
Joe") and she's left home to man the ship and
take care of our three kids ("Joey Joe", "Jenny
Joe", and "Jackie Joe"). I know for a fact in
February I won't be home much. We have two home
games and a series of road games. The positives
do outweigh the negatives, but you make it work."
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