Celtics Get Tougher, Sign Nails

August 28, 2007

Posey Agrees to Deal

WALTHAM - They have added a couple of perennial All-Stars and a boatload of hope, but the Celtics got something that no one on the roster had by picking up James Posey: a ring.

Posey, who agreed to terms with the Celtics Saturday as a free agent, was wearing his NBA championship ring yesterday at his introductory news conference, a diamond-studded reminder of the lofty goals now in front of this group.

"[I'm] very excited for the opportunity to win at a high level and, at the end of the day, win a championship," Posey said. "And I think there's a great opportunity here. You just feel it in the air with all the moves that were made this offseason."

Such talk would have seemed ludicrous just a few months ago as the Celtics posted the second-worst record in the NBA. But a draft-day trade for sharpshooter Ray Allen and the ensuing deal for superstar Kevin Garnett made championship aspirations seem not so far-fetched.

And Posey knows what it takes to get there, having won a title with Miami in 2006. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs that year, complementing Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade with his versatility.

A first-round pick out of Xavier in 1999, Posey likely will come off the bench at shooting guard, small forward, and power forward. The 6-foot-8-inch Posey, who signed a two-year, $7 million deal (with the second year a player option), is known as a defensive stopper.

"For me, it starts on the defensive end, just bringing that energy and accepting that challenge every night," Posey said. "That's what I take pride in, and from there, that can rub off on teammates."

As for the ring, Posey said he wouldn't flash it around much. Maybe once, just to make a statement.