Evansville Courier Profiles Waltah

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Be funny if Ainge traded him. Think that might send a message to O'Brien.......

Positive intangibles make McCarty a valuable Celtic
By TIM ETHRIDGE Sports Editor 464-7416 or ethridge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
October 12, 2003

INDIANAPOLIS - Walter McCarty never has averaged more than 9.6 points per game during his seven seasons in the NBA. He never has averaged more than 4.4 rebounds. He never has averaged more than 2.2 assists. 

So why, then, when free-agency beckoned after last season, were the Boston Celtics so eager to re-sign the 6-foot-10 forward from Evansville? 

 
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Because, said Celtics coach Jim O'Brien, McCarty represents everything that's good about professional athletics. 

"Walter brings so many positive intangibles to the team that it borders on ridiculous," O'Brien said Saturday night, before the Celtics' exhibition game with the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. "He has an enthusiasm for life in general, and he carries that with him onto the basketball court. 

"He's a great leader, a great teammate, and a great contributor to this basketball team. He's a very, very, very valuable member of the Boston Celtics, and I would have been devastated had we not gotten him re-signed." 

After earning all-state honors in 1991-92 at Harrison High School, which was in the middle of a run of outstanding athletes who also included current Golden State Warriors guard Calbert Cheaney and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Kevin Hardy, McCarty signed with Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky and launched what has become a career of playing a variety of roles on the court. 

He averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds as a senior, helping UK win the 1995-96 NCAA championship. 

Drafted 19th overall by the Knicks, he spent his rookie season as a part-time player before being acquired by the Celtics in a multi-player trade that sent Chris Mills to New York. McCarty has been in Boston ever since, and he has no complaints. 

"I'm comfortable with the system, with my teammates, with the city," said McCarty, who returns to Evansville every offseason to visit family and friends. "I'm not going to say that I don't want to start every game and contribute even more, but I certainly don't have any complaints about how I've been treated. 

"One thing I learned early was that a positive attitude can take you a long way. I'm not a person who's going to sit around and complain and worry about what's going on around me. I'll just make the most of the chances I get and do everything I can to help the team win, and that's got to be enough." 

Last season, that meant averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds and bringing energetic defense to the court while playing an average of 23.5 minutes. McCarty and forward Eric Williams were the only Celtics players to appear in all 82 regular-season games. In the eight games that McCarty started, Boston went 7-1. Overall, the Celtics were 44-38, good for third behind New Jersey and Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division. They eliminated the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Nets in the conference semifinals. 

"Walter's just a high-energy guy," said forward Antoine Walker, who along with Tony Delk represents the rest of the UK influence on the Celtics. "When he's in the game, there's a lot of positive flow going on. He's in great shape and he stays healthy, so you know he's going to be there when you need him." 

Where that might be is a nightly mystery. Though 6-10, McCarty remains quick at 230 pounds. Long arms make him a better-than-average defender and a solid rebounder. He can spot up to shoot a 3-pointer (hitting 36.7 percent, 91 of 248, last season). And he can handle the ball well enough to help out against pressure. 

"Last year, he played four positions," said O'Brien, ticking off the numbers that correspond with center (5), power forward (4), small forward (3) and off-guard (2). "The year before, he even played a little bit on the point. 

"That versatility makes him very, very valuable - sort of like a great utility infielder in baseball. Walter's very sure of himself. He works hard, he knows he can do a lot of different things, and he's not afraid to try whatever you ask of him." 

Almost as importantly in the sometimes scandal-scarred NBA, McCarty is just as solid off the court. He was the first Celtics player to receive the NBA Hometown Hero of the Month award for his communty outreach efforts that include the "I Love Music Foundation" for inner-city youth in Boston. When the Celtics caravan embarks in the offseason to raise interest in the team in New England, he's often aboard. He has a communications degree from UE, and last year released a music CD - "Moment For Love." 

McCarty, who'll celebrate his 30th birthday on Feb. 1, says he takes his responsibilities seriously, whether it's to his teammates or to his fans. 

"First off, the community stuff, I love doing it - it works with my personality," he said. "Second, I think that as professional athletes we're supposed to give something back. I know I looked up to athletes when I was growing up (Julius "Dr. J" Erving was a particular favorite), and if kids are going to look up to us we need to set an example." 

For McCarty, that means living right off the court and playing hard while on it. 

"There are a lot of things that you can do to affect a game beyond going out and scoring 40 points," he said. "If you play hard on D, dive for loose balls, hit a big shot here or there, make a stop - at the end of the game that all adds up." 

The Celtics, by making a longterm commitment to McCarty, obviously agreed. The team doesn't release contract details, but McCarty reportedly is in the fold for at least three more seasons. The NBA minimum salary for a seven-year veteran is $876,000 per year, and McCarty certainly is doing better than that. 

"Like I said, re-signing Walter wasn't a little priority, it was a big priority," said O'Brien, who was an assistant at UK for McCarty's final two seasons. "He's such a standup guy, such a team guy. You can't put a number value on what he does, you just look up at the end of the season and realize he's been there and done whatever you asked of him." 

McCarty played only seven minutes Saturday night and hit his only shot - a 3-pointer, in the Pacers' 91-90 victory.