Wyc Denies Being A Grinch; Jimbo Slams Doors And Screams

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> From the Herald's Inside Track:
> 
> Walker slam dunks his fete over trade turmoil
> By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
> Wednesday, December 17, 2003 
> Santa Claus may be coming to town, but the folks at the Boston Celtics feel like they're getting Scrooged! And the ongoing turmoil on Causeway Street forced ex-Green Team Captain Antoine Walker to pull the plug on his big holiday reunion scheduled for last night at Kings. 
> 	
> A pity, really. Because after a few cocktails, it would have been swell to hear what the hoopsters really think of GM Danny Ainge's Pitino-esque trade deal that sent team leader Eric Williams, along with Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for bad boy Ricky Davis and other Cavs not on anyone's radar screen. 
> 	
> Except Danny's, apparently. 
> 	
> Of course, we can already guess what poor Jim O'Brien thought. We hear coach got the good word 20 minutes before the boss broke the news to the trio. Which, we're told, set off door slamming and other outbursts. And who, we ask you, could blame him? 
> 	
> Which brings us to 'Toine. Yesterday, on the eve of his return in a Dallas Mavericks uniform the buzz was that ownership was discouraging front-office types and staff from attending 'Toine's time at the Back Bay bowl-a-drome. 
> 	
> Visions of Buffalo-bound Lawyer Milloy and the Patriots dancing in your head yet??? 
> 	
> Well, the ex-Celts captain ended up pulling the plug on the holiday homecoming hoopla, we're told. Word is, he didn't want any Green Teamers to get coal in their stockings this year from Santa Snake (aka Ainge) because they were seen ho-ho-hoing with him. 
> 	
> However, Celts owner Wyc Grousbeck yesterday swore he wasn't stopping the troops from saying hey to 'Toine. In fact, Wyc said he was invited to Walker's string fling by one of No. 8's pals. 
> 	
> ``I told a couple of people in our office I wasn't going to go and that could be the source of the feeling it was discouraged,'' he said. ``But I am fine with people celebrating Antoine's contributions.'' 
> 	
> Not to mention his hope that Mark Cuban's Mavericks stayed out waaaay late last night! 

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