Globe on Chris Herren

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

Celtics 1-0 with Herren. He is obviously under pressure to do something
on the court (5 turnovers and 0 assists in just 9 minutes) to match all
the hype, which has been consistently, embarrassingly high no matter
what he does in games. It would be a great story if he succeeds, and
great for Boston Celtics fans.

BTW, I'm surprised that Rodney Elliot (9 points in 19 minutes) keeps
getting lots of playing time. Miskiri had three turnovers in three
minutes. Mark Blount didn't play last night and neither did Chris Carr.
Moiso struggled (1-5 shooting), Randy Brown started and was credited
with an amazing 6 steals, while Antoine led the team in four categories
(30 points, 9 boards, 4 offensive boards, 6 assists) and nearly scored a
point per minute. The Celtics forced 26 turnovers last night, with Brown
and Griffin combining for 9 steals. Mutombo was a DNP.

------

Herren aboard
Celtics welcome Fall River guard
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 10/17/2000

WALTHAM - At the start of Chris Herren's ill-fated freshman year at
Boston College, he had a shamrock tattooed on his left forearm. It was a
tribute to his favorite NBA team, the Celtics, and his Irish heritage.

Since the time he was a standout at Durfee High School in Fall River,
Herren had dreamed of playing for the Celtics.

Yesterday, the Celtics made that dream come true, officially announcing
the trade that brought the point guard and swingman Bryant Stith from
Denver to Boston in exchange for point guard Robert Pack and forward
Calbert Cheaney. The deal had been agreed to for two weeks.

''Both are going to add to our team right away, and we're excited to
have both young men,'' said Celtics coach and president Rick Pitino.
''Chris is from Durfee High School right down the road in Fall River.
He's an exciting basketball player, understands the game, makes other
people better. He's a tough kid, works very hard. He reminds me in many
respects as a high school basketball player of Billy Donovan with his
love for the game.''

The 6-foot-2-inch, 190-pound Herren, who battled academic problems at BC
and substance abuse after transferring to Fresno State in 1995, was
selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 1999 draft (33d
overall). He played in 45 games (one start) as a rookie, averaging 3.1
points and 2.5 assists in 13.3 minutes per contest. At Fresno State his
senior year, Herren ranked fifth in the nation in assists.

''I'm not Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce and those guys,'' said Herren.
''I'm there to distribute the ball and make guys better. That's quite an
easy thing to do if you're on top of your game. The pressure's not out
there for me to score. The pressure's not on me to grab 15 rebounds a
game. The pressure's on me just to push the ball and go. That's not that
bad.''

Stith, who is 6-5, 210, and entering his ninth season in the league,
gives the Celtics a veteran presence.

Stith started the Celtics' 94-92 exhibition win over Atlanta in
Springfield, scoring 3 points in 22 minutes, but the attention was
squarely on Herren. The last time he joined a Boston-based team, it led
to a disastrous chain of events. He suffered a broken wrist in BC's 1994
season opener that required surgery. He never played for the Eagles
again. His grades slipped, there were rumors of drug abuse, and friends
from Fall River provided a constant distraction.

When he started making plans to transfer, Herren said at the time,
''Basically, I want to try to get away from home. I don't feel like
being the local kid anymore.''

There were times when the dream of playing in the NBA - never mind with
the Celtics - seemed distant. ''I've done some things through
adolescence that almost prevented me from getting here,'' said Herren.
''But I'm here and that's it.''

Yesterday, Pitino talked about a ''maturation process'' and Herren
discussed the new responsibilities of being a husband and a father.
''There are pressures everywhere,'' said Herren. ''People tend to forget
I am a 25-year-old who has a wife and a baby. My first priority is my
wife and my baby.''

The problems at BC, he said, ''happened to me when I was 17, 18 years
old, happened a long time ago. I haven't been in Massachusetts in six or
seven years in the winter. Like anyone else, I would expect someone to
go change and go through that maturing process from 18 to 25. It's been
a while since I've been around here. I'm over that.''

When Pitino was considering the trade, Herren's local roots and troubled
past were reviewed and discussed. The coach is confident that Herren can
handle being back home. ''It concerned me, but Chris is a delightful
young man to be around,'' said Pitino. ''I sent a book to Chris in the
mail called `Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.' I talked to him about it.

''You can look at pressure as being an ally. This has got to be a dream.
He has the logo on his arm and it's something special for him. He rooted
for the team growing up. I am going to put him through the fire
basketballwise, but I want him to enjoy the experience.''

But the first night in a Celtics uniform was tough. He scored 1 point in
nine minutes, while turning the ball over five times.

When someone said to Herren after the game, ''Well, you survived.'' He
sighed, and said, ''Barely.''

This story ran on page C01 of the Boston Globe on 10/17/2000.
© Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company.