Re: walker's interviews

["James A. Hill" <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

I suggest that a summer with MJ was the best thing that could have happened
to our Mr. Walker.  Let's hope MJ wants to play at least one more year and
runs another "best off season games/training in America" and invites Walker
again.  If it happens, Walker will be an All Star again next year.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. (Or so it seems with the Kid programs etc..
he participates in)
<Jim


At 02:32 AM 5/14/02 -0500, Dan Stadnick wrote:
>I read on Boston Globe's online column that Antoine Walker had interviewed
>several playoff veterans to find out what he should expect to encounter in
the
>playoffs.  I found this tidbit interesting, although the columnist (Michael
>Holly) didn't go into this.  Could this be why the Celts have shown such a
>mature, experienced  persona so far throughout these playoffs?  Or is it
smply
>because of the wisdom & foresight of Obie (Williams: coach drew up on the
>board how the game would evolve & that's what happened) ?

Well IMO the fact of his even asking is a sign of maturity in Walker, but
based upon the source I wouldn't go overboard with the concept. Michael
Holley is articulate and interesting and knowledgeable and someone I always
read, BUT he also spent most of his previous incarnation on the Globe as
Walker's continual apologist and spinmeister, twisting everything that
happened to put Walker in the best possible light. So based upon that, IMO
much of the 'interviewing'  could have been no more than a quick comment in
passing to and from Max while waiting by the scorer's table. That being
said however, it's clearly more than just Obie drew things up right because
they've been perfectly willing to ignore that before. And you really can't
teach maturity until someone's already started to grow up enough to be
willing to listen. So clearly they are maturing (which I've thought was
true of Walker all year long), even if there's a long way to go. And I have
to admit that the relative maturity they've shown in the playoffs has been
the biggest surprise to me, even more than their winning per se. They've
been able to play with anyone all year, but they've been equally able to
shoot themselves in the foot.

Kim