From the Horse's mouth...

[Thndrblt31@aol.com]

I got this from an AOL Celtics board.  enjoy.

Subject: Re: This is really a good post
Date: 5/23/00 12:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: <A HREF="aol://3548:Rlc2490">Rlc2490</A>
Message-id: <20000523120120.10554.00000618@ng-ce1.aol.com>


I just got back from Manchester, NH, where Pitino was giving a "Success is a 
choice" breakfast speech to businesses...the company I work with 
(www.maaxhat.com) was invited...So my partener and I show up, both under the 
age of 25, so we stuck out like sore thumbs...Meanwhile we sat right in front 
of the podium...So as soon as the questions were allowed, I raised my hand, 
told him I was a season ticket holder and asked a
few about the C's...First was Antoine...I told Rick that he has been 
defending the kid to all of us for 2 years now, and has repeatedly stated 
that Antoine wants to win more than anyone on the team...I then tell him that 
"I can say I want to win. I can say I want to be president, nba player, etc. 
The point is that anyone can talk, but aren't there steps one must take, such 
as the sacrifice and hard work? How about getting a mid range game, a 15
footer? Physical training, weights and agility skills? Working on skills as 
opposed to playing in the Chicago Pro AM league against college hopefuls all 
sumer?"

Rick just nodded...He then said this, more or less word for word: "I sat down 
with Antoine at the end of the year and said, 'Toine, what was wrong with 
your season? Toine said he never should have taken so many threes. Then he 
said he was devasted that he didn't make the all star team this year, that 
he's not considered one of the stars of the nba. So he's re-dedicated himself 
this summer. He has hired a full time nutritionist, a full time weight
coach. And he's already begun working hard on his game. I can't tell him that 
not making the playoffs should be most important, you have to let people have 
their own motives. He understands that for us to get there, he has to get 
better, and fast." 

Then I asked about Fort...He said the problem with Danny Fortson is that he 
thinks the whole game revolves around his minutes and production. He also 
said that because he's our free agent, we could pay him 12 million dollars if 
we wanted to, then said quickly, "which we would never, never do."...I took 
that as meaning that Fort is most certainly gone, also seeing how he defended 
Battie adamantly soon therafter, calling him a "young player with
great potential."...

So Then after the speech he was signing stuff and I stood next to him and 
asked him for some reactions to the names I would give him...First one, Derek 
Anderson...I asked him if there is anyway we could convince him to the take 
our exception...Rick stopped the stroke of the pen and smiled..."You know 
what, I would love to have Derek Anderson back with me. He plays wonderful 
man and team defense, and is a big time athlete, which we don't have. But to
be honest, I think Derek is going to go for more money, that we just don't 
have right now."......

Mike Miller's name came up...Rick said he's talented but clearly is in no way 
ready to play in the league physically or defensively, same with Donnell 
Harvey and darius miles....He doesn't want to get any younger, in fact he 
said the team is only looking to "get some more grey hair on our team, 
because we need some help in that area.".....

Paul Pierce offers come in all day every day, some trade offers that would 
blow the fan;'s minds away...He then talked about star power...He mentioned 
Hill, Carter, Kobe, and then Duncan and Iverson, and Stephon Marbury...He 
said they are stars, of  which we don't have any...Chilli, then he said: "But 
we do have Paul Pierce, who is not going to become one as quickly as the 
others listed, but will be there soon. He's going to become our star
player, once he starts doing what Kobe does, which is play both ends--offense 
and defense--equally. I believe he will do that, and I hope it's during my 
tenure."......I thought the last part was interesting....

So that was that...Great experience...Nice to get some words from the horse's 
mouth....By the way, rumor has it today that We offered Ron Mercer to Riley 
for PJ Brown and Riley said no way...Also that Riley is intrigued by Antoine 
Walker....Pitino  spent a good ten minutes defending Jamal Mashburn about not 
taking the last shot in the final seconds sunday...He said he did what you're 
supposed to do when you get doubled, "pass the ball to the open
man, which just happened to be Clarence Weatherspoon."...

Most of all, I'm pissed about Derek Anderson...I was really hoping to get our 
hands on him....

By the way, at one point he said "I say this honestly, I'm enjoying failure. 
It's making me work harder than I've ever had to in my whole life."