Pond: Larry's Welcome Back

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Door's open for Larry: Bird would be welcome
Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett - Boston Herald
Thursday, January 11, 2001


There is nothing at all in the works at the moment, but Celtics chief
operating officer Rich Pond said yesterday he believes the club would be
open to discussing the Celtics' director of basketball operations
position with Larry Bird.

Bird is said to be interested in coming back to the Celtics as part of
or with a new ownership group, but Celtics owner Paul Gaston has stood
strong in his statement that the club is not for sale (when an inquiry
was made in recent months, the price was said to be prohibitive).

Responding to a question of whether the door might be open for Bird to
work with the present group, Pond said, ``I can see that happening. I
mean, they both have to have a cleansing period I'm sure. But time goes
on and people change their feelings, or adjust them, so I would not say
that that's a complete absurdity.

``I think there comes a point where people have to sit down and decide
what's best for them, and if something like this would work for both
sides, then you resolve whatever differences you may have. . . . I
probably don't know Larry well enough, but I know Paul well enough that
if something makes sense, he will work to make it work.''


And here's what http://www.BskBall.com has to say about this:

01/11-THE LEGEND IN BOSTON- Paul Gaston is doing the dance, he maintains
he is not selling the Celtics. So if he's not selling the team where are
they going to go for the roles that Rick Pitino filled (so poorly).
Well, current Celtics chief operating officer Rich Pond said the team
would be very receptive to talks with Larry Bird, and that despite the
obvious rift between Larry and current ownership that if a "cleansing
period" were to take place its possible the two sides could com
together. While the idea of Larry Bird being involved in a douching is
much to sickening to consider. The reality is the bridge was torched
between Larry and Paul Gaston, and unless Gaston coughs up a
considerable chuck of ownership to Larry, I'd say its unlikely he even
returns their phone calls. St. John's head coach Mike Jarvis told media
he doubted he'd get a phone call regarding the C's open coaching spot.
The Celtics have been very guarded in their thought process because
frankly I don't know for sure that Celtics ownership actually thinks. So
expect the Celtic dart board to come out again this summer as Paul
Gaston gets twirled around and tries to "pin the tail on the moron", and
see who will really will step up and try and solve this problem in
Boston. Holding your breath for Larry Legend is a pipedream under this
ownership.