Bulpett article

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Hi, here's an interesting Bulpett article from the Boston Herald:

Penny for the Celtics' thoughts
                  by Steve Bulpett
                  Wednesday, June 2, 1999

                  As the invited guests gathered prior to the Bill
Russell event lastWednesday, Celtics coach and president Rick Pitino was
acting like a nosy reporter. He asked Boston College coach Al Skinner
several questions about what his buddy, Orlando executive Julius Erving,
thought of Magic guard Penny Hardaway. Then when Dr. J showed up, Pitino
played 20 questions with the source.

                  So, yes, the Celtics do have interest in Hardaway,
and, yes, Ron Mercer and Kenny Anderson would have to be involved to
make the deal work. But Pitino said yesterday that the two teams are
still in the general chatting stage.

                  Interestingly, part of the reason Mercer's name will
come up a great deal in trade discussions this summer is that his agents
have yet to get with the Celtics to begin negotiating a contract
extension. Mercer  has one year left, but he can sign for as many as six
additional years  now. Whether he will come in at a number that fits the
Celtic budget  is a key to him staying.

                  ``We've had no negotiations at all,'' Pitino said
yesterday after working out some free agents at the Celtics' facility in
Waltham. ``His camp is different than any we've ever dealt with. It's
the antithesis of some of the others you deal with. We spoke to their
group and said basically, `Let us know what you think.' Then we never
heard back from them. They told us they were going to get to us, but
they're in no rush. So if they're in no rush, then we're in no rush.
We've been to them two or three times and they said they'd get back to
us and they haven't. We've let Ron know that they haven't gotten back to
us.''

                  Meanwhile, Pitino has been canvassing his Hardaway
sources to learn as much as he can about the multi-talented player who
seems to have trouble in a leadership role (on consecutive days after
the Magic's playoff elimination, he said he wanted to leave and to
stay). Before it is over, the Celts may have to decide whether Hardaway
can play for Pitino and how the chemistry would work. At this point, the
club has simply let the Magic know they'd like to talk more.

                  ``It doesn't even mean we're going to go through with
anything,'' Pitino said. ``We're just trying to see what's out there for
us. Right now we don't think that Orlando is doing something with Penny
Hardaway, but if they were, we would want to find out whether it's
worthwhile for the Celtics to do.

                  ``They're on record as saying they need to have a
heart-to-heart talk with Penny. So when they do that and they figure
what they're going to do, if they're letting Penny go, then they would
probably call  us. They'd probably call 10 other teams, too.'' So Pitino
has become an investigative reporter. He's talked with former Magic
coach and Celtic consultant Richie Adubato (who likes Penny), among
others.

                  `Right now I have a book on (Hardaway),'' Pitino said.
``But I also  have a book on Kenny and Ron. If there was ever any trade
possibility, you weigh all the positives and negatives. But right now
we're not even at that stage, because (Hardaway) would have to opt out
(of his contract) then there would have to be a sign-and-trade. So many
things would have to happen for that scenario to go. And we'd have to
examine it from our perspective.''

                  Celtics notes

                  The Celtics are also finding out about some free
agents. Former Cavalier and Buck Donny Marshall was one of 14 who got a
look (he certainly can play the style), as Pitino and staff seek a group
to take to the Los Angeles Summer League. Others in for a look included
CBA MVP Adrian Griffin, power forward Brent Scott, former Rhode Island
point guard Tyson Wheeler, center Todd Lindemann, former Boston College
center Mickey Curley and guard Terence Rencher.

                  The Celts also looked at 7-foot-3 Aleksander Radojevic
from Barton County Community College, who figures to go in the first
round of the draft - well ahead of the Celts' first pick (No. 55
overall).