FW: [Celtics' Stuff ŒHey, if you came to sit, you cam e to the wrong section tonight.¹--Walton

[JB <james.metz@verizon.net>]

       Awesome, Michael. Thanks for this one.
       Bill Walton; "Bringin' it all back home."


             JB

----------
From: michael.j.marlow.01@alum.dartmouth.org
Reply-To: Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: 11 May 2002 13:48:50 EDT
To: Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Celtics' Stuff Hey, if you came to sit, you came to the wrong
section tonight.9--Walton


Where's Walton? ... Day 21: Back in Beantown

Hall of Famer and NBA on NBC analyst Bill Walton, who led his Portland Trail
Blazers to an NBA championship 25 years ago, is making history once again as
he "Loves it Live" by traveling to 30 NBA games in 30 days during NBA
Playoffs 2002. Join Walton as he experiences the thrilling playoff
excitement first hand, which is passionately documented in his daily reports
on NBA.com along with an exclusive "Where's Walton?" map spotlighting his
cross-country travels. Get on the Bus!

FRIDAY, MAY 10: BOSTON, MASS.

By Bill Walton
The Bus pulled out of Dallas at dawn ...PLAYIN', PLAYIN', IN THE BAND.
DAYBREAK, DAYBREAK ON THE LAND ... this morning with the damp humidity still
clinging from the previous night's thunderstorms. IF THE THUNDER DON'T GET
YOU, THEN THE LIGHTENING WILL .. Our pockets empty of cash, so disappointed,
so disheartened, so frustrated that we couldn't get our money back from
ENRON .. Where is the OUTRAGE? Where is the ANGER at this INJUSTICE?
Fortunately, Paul Krugman, the phenomenal columnist for The New York Times,
is on the case. He has been leading the charge to see through the DECEPTION,
to fight seemingly single handily against the DISEASE OF CONCEIT, the
DISEASE OF GREED, the DISEASE OF SELFISHNESS. As Frank Rich said, a short
while ago, 'FREEDOM IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR NOTHING LEFT FOR ENRON
SHAREHOLDERS TO LOSE.'


Bill boarding Boston's green line en route to the Garden.
John Hareas/NBAE
The Bus on the highway noticed a familiar face, hitchhiking along the road,
holding a sign that read, 'BOSTON.' We pulled over and this happy, smiling
fellow climbed aboard: It was Mike Dunleavy, a colleague from many years
ago, now broadcasting games on NBC Sports. Mike was heading to Boston for
Pistons-Celtics, Game 4. Mike and I were combatants in the '77 NBA Finals.
We had a good laugh reminiscing about those days. Our attention then turned
to the present and the stories about our sons - Mike Dunleavy, Jr. and Luke
Walton.

We also talked about what a great job Gene Shue had done with that
Philadelphia team, creating a family atmosphere, where kids can grow, learn
and develop. When you look at the progeny who came off that Philadelphia
team, it's quite impressive -- Mike Bibby, Kobe Bryant, Mike Dunleavy Jr.,
Tamika and Tauja Catchings. What a a lineage of terrific all-around talent.
As we reflected back on those NBA Finals 25 years ago, I was able to laugh
because fortunately, OUR TEAM, won that series. It's not whether you win or
lose ... It's whether I WIN or lose that counts ... WE USED TO PLAY FOR
SLIVER, NOW WE PLAY FOR LIFE ... AND ONE'S FOR SPORT AND ONE'S FOR BLOOD AT
THE POINT OF A KNIFE ... AND NOW THE DIE IS SHAKEN, NOW THE DIE MUST FALL
...THERE AIN'T A WINNER IN THE GAME, HE DON'T GO HOME WITH ALL ...

NBA STORE

Join the fun with your own "Where's Walton?" Love It Live T-shirt
On our way into Boston, old friend Kevin Frazier flagged the bus down on the
Mass Pike on this gorgeous spring day. The Bus stopped, he got on. He's
aboard for the duration of the journey. We then made a direct run to one of
my favorite restaurants, Legal Seafood. We were starving. The lunches we
used to feast on after practices at Hellenic College were legendary. Enough
to feed an army, when really there were only two or three of us. Roger
Berkowitz always takes care of the Celtics.

After our delicious lunch, my mind drifted back to the injuries from
Thursday night's Kings-Mavs, Game 3. They were still painfully fresh in my
mind - Stojakovic, Christie -- hoping, praying that those ankles will be OK.
Unfortunately, for Peja, as we just learned, his ankle is not. He will not
be able to join the celebration that Game 4 in Dallas promises to be. It's
sad because you want the GAME to be DECIDED ON THE COURT, not in the
doctor's office.

Their plight brought back memories of former Celtics team doctor, DR. ICE
...We called him Dr. Ice because no matter what the injury was, he always
told us, 'Just go put some ice on it. It will be fine.' When we complained
('I'm hurt really, bad, Doc.'), Dr. Ice would always tell us, 'Hey, Bill
Russell had that same injury. He never missed a game with that.'

With BILL RUSSELL at the (new) Garden tonight, it was yet ANOTHER DREAM COME
TRUE on the LOVE IT LIVE TOUR. Bill Russell IS my favorite player of all
time.


Walton with his "favorite player of all time," Bill Russell.
Aaron Ryan/NBAE
I was a young boy growing up in San Diego when I started to learn about
sports. My mom, who is the town's librarian, brought home my first sports
book, 'Go Up For Glory,' written by William Felton Russell. When I finally
had the opportunity to go head to head with Russell in a competitive
situation, it was my second NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers. I
was trying to recover from the most DISAPPOINTING, FRUSTRATING and
EMBARRASSING rookie season that any No. 1 draft choice has ever had. I was
ready on opening night of year two. Bill Russell was coaching a HAPLESS,
HOPELESS squad of heinous outcasts for the Seattle SuperSonics. By the end
of the third quarter, we were annihilating Seattle. I was rolling toward a
huge game - 30-plus points, 25-plus rebounds - ALREADY - and we were only
through three.

During the opening moments of the fourth quarter, Russell looked down to the
end of his bench and there was yet another HATCHET MAN, YET ANOTHER GOON,
his name -- John Hummer. Russell called him up off the bench and Hummer's
first act was to race right over and deliver a sucker punch. I was soaring
for another block to ignite yet another Blazer fast break when suddenly -
BOOM!! Realizing that I had been cheap-shotted by Hummer, I chased him down
all over the Sonics floor and in the ensuing brawl, I GOT MY LICKS IN.
Unfortunately, I also got ejected from the game for fighting. As I was
escorted off the court by several armed guards, I looked back one last time
and there was Bill Russell - MY HERO, MY MAN, the author, the player, the
CHAMPION, the standard bearer for the battle for human and civil rights -
with arms folded and his infamous cackle heard barely above the din. BILL
RUSSELL HAD WON ONCE AGAIN ...BUT YOU AND I, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT AND
THIS IS NOT OUR FATE ... SO LET US NOT TALK FALSELY NOW, THE HOUR IS GETTING
LATE ..

We got to the Garden on the Green Line early. I could feel a sense of
complacency as if the Celtics had already done their job ... MOST OF THE
CAST THAT YOU MEET ON THE STREETS SPEAK OF TRUE LOVE ... MOST OF THE TIME
THEY'RE SITTIN' AND CRYIN' AT HOME ... ONE OF THESE DAYS THEY KNOW THEY
BETTER GET GOIN' ... OUT OF THE DOOR AND DOWN ON THE STREETS ALL ALONE ..The
fans were not on edge and were not concerned. They know that this series is
already over. It seems as if the Celtic players were already celebrating a
SERIES victory, not just Game 2.

The game was as poorly played as any playoff game I can conceivably
remember. I was sitting in my favorite seats with my friends, including
Kevin Frazier, so we had no idea what Dick and Hubie were saying. There must
have been some records set for futility on offense and there certainly were.
It turned out to be the lowest scoring game in the NBA Playoffs since the
shot clock was instituted in 1954-55 - OUCH! The biggest problem was not
poor shooting, but rather, POOR STYLE ... SOME FOLKS TRUST TO REASON OTHER
TRUST TO MIGHT ... I DON'T TRUST TO NOTHIN', BUT I KNOW IT COMES OUT RIGHT
...When you're struggling, YOU CANNOT continue to GO ONE ON ONE off the
dribble. WHERE IS THE BALL MOVEMENT? Where are the screens away from the
action? Where is the flow of five as one? All we saw as a relentless pattern
all night long was clear out and isolation. We just came from
Sacramento-Dallas, where it is nothing but BALL MOVEMENT. Where there is
nothing but CRISP HITTING, FAST-BREAK ATTACKING. This has to change if
Boston or Detroit is going to have long-term success ... THERE MUST BE SOME
WAY OUT OF HERE ... SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF.


Bill hooks Jack up with a T-shirt.
Aaron Ryan/NBAE
As the game became exciting and the crowd came alive because victory was in
the balance for the home team, the tension was really building ... BUT I
CAN'T STOP FOR NOTHIN' I'M JUST PLAYIN' IN THE BAND ...During the course of
the night, the Celtics scoreboard kept flashing this particular video from
the late '80s when Bill Laimbeer submarined Larry Bird, flipped him over on
his already bad back. The ensuing melee was nasty. Once order was restored
in Detroit that night and everyone was finally calming down. Larry Bird, who
still had the ball in his hand, took that ball and rifled it as hard as he
could and smacked Bill Laimbeer right in the middle of the face with it.
They showed the video time and time again last night at the (new) Garden.
Every time the ball smacked Laimbeer, the crowd roared ever louder.

By midway through the second half, the place was in a frenzy. The rock music
that they were blaring throughout - remember, this is the only arena in the
entire NBA that does not have dancers, male or female - was scintillating,
invigorating and spiritually uplifting. People were dancing and having the
times of their lives. The Love It Live Tour was reaching new heights by the
breath. Then the loudspeakers played Todd Rundgren's I DON'T WANT TO WORK
... I WANT TO BANG ON YOUR DRUM ALL DAY ... That put it over the top.

The fan who was sitting behind me kept saying to some people who were
voicing their complaints about the wildness of the crowd, said: 'Hey, if you
came to sit, you came to the wrong section tonight.' ...MY LICKS WERE SO HOT
I MADE THE TEACHER WANT TO DANCE. ...

Kenny Anderson was absolutely terrific again ... Well, maybe absolutely
terrific is an overstatement in a game that was devoid of skill throughout.
The effort was there, yes, but the style? I don't know, I'M STILL SCRATCHING
MY HEAD. Anderson made big play after big play and this guy is showing once
again that even with the rise of the new young point guards that we've seen
around the league, this guy is not ready to be pushed out the door.

Finally, the Celtics were able to hold on, in an incredible defensive
struggle. Who would have ever thought the mental breakdown by the Celtics in
the closing seconds would have given Detroit even the remotess remotest
chance of victory, but the Celtics were luckily able to hold on.


BIG RED'S
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Where else can you be on a 30-game, 30-day tour, getting three hours of
sleep a night and have absolutely no sense of where you are, who you are or
what you're doing and still feel like you fit right in?!"
--Bill on why it's great to be a fan in the (new) Garden

We raced out of the (new) Garden afterwards, and the crowd was ecstatic,
cheering wildly for the Celtics ...STANDIN' ON A TOWER WORLD AT MY COMMAND
...YOU JUST KEEP A TURNIN' WHILE I'M PLAYING IN THE BAND ...We rode the T
home, the Green Line, and it was just a crazy scene with people banging on
the train's roof: 'HERE WE GO CELTICS, HERE WE GO.' Rhythmic dance, the
people exchanging shirts on the train, it was quite the scene. People were
arranging that evening's parties as others sang, 'Let's Spend the Night
Together.' ...NOW I NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER ...

The Love Fest rolls on as the Love It Live Tour got back to our hotel. We
can never thank our special security force in Boston enough. Even though
they aren't really needed because Celtic fans are so special and treat
everyone with the utmost care, civility and decency, we must mention the
outstanding work of our man, Jack. He organized the entire Love It Live Tour
once we set foot in the (new) Garden. That guy DESERVES A RAISE. That guy
DESERVES to be PRESIDENT OF THE (NEW) BOSTON GARDEN ... EVERY DAY WHEN I GET
HOME FROM WORK I FEEL SO FRUSTRATED ... THE BOSS IS A JERK ...AND I GET MY
STICKS AND GO OUT TO THE SHED AND I POUND ON THAT DRUM LIKE IT WAS THE
BOSS'S HEAD ... I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY ....

As I try to put the wildness, craziness and weirdness out of my mind, I'm
trying to figure out what is happening here. As I lay my head to rest, I am
content and comforted tonight because everywhere I went in Boston, there was
a low but building crescendo of emotion. Solemnly at first but then getting
stronger, louder and more vocal by the hour, the rumble from the Celtic fans
chanting, 'WE WANT L.A. WE WANT L.A.'

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