Celtics Notebook/Steve Bulpett

[opi@unesco.org]

Celtics Notebook/Steve Bulpett

The Celtics seem to be taking Larry Bird's talk of owning the club as
little more than a slap. Certainly it seems unlikely that Paul Gaston
would go out of his way to make a deal with a potential Bird group after
Larry's comments in his book and this week. In fact, one could  envision
Gaston doing anything but.

Celtics chief financial and operating officer Richard Pond wasn't
getting into Bird's motives, but he did say, ``If he's serious about
buying the team, that wouldn't be the direct approach. If he feels he
could put together a group to buy the team, you would assume he would
not be public about it. That would only foster competition. In a
business environment, that's not the approach you take.''

As for Gaston's plans, Pond reiterated what the owner has said on many
occasions, that the Celtics are not for sale. He did say Gaston, as a
businessman, would have to listen to any serious offer.

``But the only way I could see something happening is if it was an
unbelievable offer,'' Pond said. ``If somebody came to Paul and  offered
him half a billion dollars, he'd probably sell the team. And I'm being
serious about that figure. It would take something like that.''