Re: Wallace now hot commodity

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wallace will definitely do better elsewhere, he just couldn't do any worse.

DanF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Beauregard" <sb@maine.rr.com>
To: "celtics list" <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 9:36 AM
Subject: Wallace now hot commodity


> Wallace now hot commodity
>
> Blazers, Wizards seek information
>
> By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 5/10/2003
>
> lthough Chris Wallace has said his ''first preference is to stay with the
> Boston Celtics,'' the Celtics' hiring of Danny Ainge as executive director
of
> basketball operations yesterday has made Wallace a commodity among teams
with
> front-office openings.
>
>
>
> According to a team source, Portland contacted the Celtics asking for
> permission to talk with Wallace about its general manager opening after
Trail
> Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt resigned. The Wizards also contacted the Celtics
> asking for the particulars of Wallace's contract.
>
> Wallace is currently scouting in Barcelona. When asked about Wallace's
future
> with the Celtics, Ainge only said that as executive director of basketball
> operations, he was in charge of ''making the basketball decisions.''
Wallace
> has three years remaining on his contract. If he does not leave for
another
> job in another city, it's likely his job description will include more
> scouting.
>
>
> Not a problem The Celtics were unwilling to view the announcement of
Ainge's
> hiring four hours before the tipoff of Game 3 of their Eastern Conference
> semifinal series with the Nets as a distraction. But the players weren't
> rushing to talk to the media about it. Ainge did not plan to speak with
the
> players until after the playoffs to make sure he did not become a
> distraction.
>
> ''I've been in the locker room in a lot of circumstances with things that
have
> happened in organizations,'' said Ainge. ''This wasn't the time that any
of us
> picked. In fact, we discussed the possibility of waiting a little bit
longer
> so it wouldn't be a potential distraction, but I can assure you not one of
> those players in the locker room cares tonight. Their focus is the New
Jersey
> Nets.''
>
> When asked about the timing, owner Wyc Grousbeck added: ''One, when you
know
> you've got the person, you go ahead and do the deal. You have to go ahead
and
> be aggressive on behalf of the Celtics. There are a number of jobs open
around
> the league. Danny was a Celtic, he was also a Blazer. He's a Sun. I had no
> interest waiting until mid-June to see if he happened to still be
available.
>
> ''This is a long-term plan, a five- or 10- or 15-year plan to make this
team
> ultracompetitive. A week here and there, what you want to do is do it a
week
> sooner rather than a week later and lose the opportunity. I would also add
> that the draft is coming in the end of June and Danny is going to be
> responsible for our draft, so there is no time to be lost.''
>
> Eric Williams was one of the few players who talked about Ainge.
>
> ''That's something outside of what we're trying to accomplish on the
court,''
> said Williams. ''I think it's great. Danny Ainge has always been a big
figure
> around here in Boston. He's a champion. He's proven he can coach in this
> league. I think it's a good move to bring in a familiar face.''
>
>
> A bit green According to Celtics president Red Auerbach, the comments made
by
> Nets coach Byron Scott about black athletes feeling uncomfortable in
Boston
> were made out of stupidity. And according to Williams, Scott was just
> experiencing a bit of Celtic-envy given his years with the Lakers.
>
> ''If he made it, it's just a stupid remark,'' said Auerbach. ''You can
talk to
> all the black athletes that played here. I don't know anybody that is
unhappy
> that he played here. You can talk to the Jones Boys [Sam and K.C.], JoJo
> [White], and [Bill] Russell, all those guys. They've never been sorry that
> they've played here. So, what the hell does he know?''
>
> When the fact that Russell faced racism in Boston was brought up, Auerbach
> continued, ''He's still not unhappy that he played here. What if he played
for
> some other town. The same thing would have happened.''
>
> Williams didn't find any truth in what Scott said.
>
> ''That's his opinion,'' said Williams. ''Everybody has his own opinion,
but he
> never played here. I've been playing basketball in the New England states
most
> of my life. I played at Providence College and got drafted by the Celtics.
My
> experience has been great. So, everybody has got their own experience.
He's
> coming from another extreme, the LA Lakers . . . He always came here as
the
> enemy.''
>
>
> Sore spot Paul Pierce left with 6:01 remaining in the fourth quarter after
> suffering a strained muscle in the back of his right leg. ''It was just
Coach
> [Jim O'Brien] wanted me to get my leg checked out,'' said Pierce. ''I sort
of
> pulled something off the back of my leg and I felt it in the second
quarter
> and it was kind of hampering me throughout the game and he kept asking me
what
> was wrong during the timeout. And I guess in the fourth quarter he took me
out
> and wanted me to get checked out.'' . . . Overheard at the Celtics' block
> party on Canal Street. Wyc Grousbeck to Mayor Thomas M. Menino: ''We
wanted
> you for the job, but you were busy.'' Menino to Grousbeck while pointing
to
> Ainge: ''He can do a much better job.'' . . . John Kelly, 97, an usher at
the
> old and new Garden for 53 years, was buried in Melrose Thursday.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
> sb@maine.rr.com
>
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