Projo: Celts' Pitino, Walker focus on winning

[Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Celts' Pitino, Walker focus on winning
By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer

WALTHAM, Mass. -- It has become an annual ritual. Trade rumors swirl
about Antoine Walker. He gets upset. Rick Pitino summons him. They meet.
Pitino assures Walker that he's not going anywhere. All is well.

The scene played itself out again last month, when Pitino and his
veteran --but still young -- star got together. Now that training camp
has begun, they're both upbeat.

"Once practice starts, we're always on the same page. It's about winning
and trying to get the most out of your abilities," Pitino said.

"Rumors and things swirl around today in every organization. I'm sure
Allen Iverson went through it down in Philadelphia. Jamal Mashburn, I've
coached him and been a friend of his for a long time, and he's been
rumored to go so many different places. We're in the computer world.
We're on the Internet. So many things are being written, being said,
being put out that's not true, and you can't control that. So, Antoine's
here, and we're delighted to have him," Pitino said.

Walker has served as a lightning rod ever since M.L. Carr drafted him
with the sixth pick in 1996. Talented but immature -- he was only 20 as
a rookie -- Walker delighted fans with his scoring prowess and spirit,
yet infuriated them with his swagger, trash talk, whining and
indifference to defense.

Named to the All-Star team in 1998, Walker returned to the Celtics the
following season and referred to himself as "veteran All-Star."

Despite his occasional fits of quirky behavior, Walker is the best
player on Pitino's roster. He can shoot, rebound, handle the ball and
pass. He has averaged 19.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists during
his career. Carr played him at all five positions during his rookie
campaign, and Pitino has not hesitated to use him as a 6-9 point guard.

Plus, Walker is durable. He played in every game in 1996-97 and started
every game in 1997-98. A sprained left ankle sidelined him for eight
games of the lockout-shortened 1999 season. He started every game last
year.

In January 1999, Pitino rewarded Walker with a six-year, $71-million
contract extension.

So why do trade rumors still bother him?

"Any player would be irritated," Walker said. "It's one thing to be
mentioned in a trade, but to be dragged on for a while is irritating.
But it's part of the business. I'm over that. I'm happy to be back here.
This is where I wanted to be. I never wanted to get traded. I'm excited
about the season. I'm excited about improving myself, and as a team."

A year ago, Pitino told Walker that his contract and the NBA's
salary-cap restrictions make it virtually impossible for the Celtics to
trade him. Nevertheless, Walker thinks the Celtics might have talked
about him during the summer.

"I believe so. It's a business. If they felt like thay can trade me and
make this team better -- I mean we haven't been in the playoffs for five
years -- it could have happened. But I had a pretty good grip on what
was going on, but anything can happen at this time. It bothered me in
the beginning, but it doesn't bother me now. I'm ready to roll. I'm 110
percent behind this team, this organization."

Walker and Pitino spoke in mid-September, "but my agent was talking to
them, so I kind of knew I wasn't going nowhere. And then we did have a
talk and really worked out things and got sort of an understanding for
both of us."

Walker repeated that this is a business, and said, "We could win and go
to the playoffs, but next summer you going to see another thing. You
never know what's going to happen. You got to look at the situation that
we in right now. We haven't been to the playoffs in five years.
Everybody is anxious to get back to the winning ways in which this
organization is used to, and so things are going to be said. Once you
start winning, believe me, a lot of these problems we go through as a
team will go away quickly."

Walker, the child who by default became The Man on this team in 1996, is
ready to start winning.

"I feel good. Body feels well. I feel like I'm 110 percent. Mentally I
feel real good," he said. "I'm very optimistic about this team, very
happy to be back and very happy to get started here."

"Antoine's worked very hard this summer," Pitino said. "I know he's
raring to go."