Is Travis Knight the Next Jack Sikma?

July 13, 1997

Two deals last week gave credence to the truest of all NBA truisms: You can't coach height.

Starting next season, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves will become Bryant "Big Payday" Reeves, collecting an average of $ 10.888 million over the next six years from the Vancouver Grizzlies. We are not making this up. We presume it's US dollars.

Larry Bird Apparently Likes His Turtle Fried

May 12, 1997

Larry Brossmer takes a drag on his cigarette, then takes a sip of his beer.

"You see Larry," he drawls, "you ask him if he still likes that fried turtle. He used to love that fried turtle."

We are in Dubois, Ind., 12 miles west of French Lick, and we are in Butchie's, one of Larry Bird's home-away-from-home haunts. We are among Larry's kind of people. These are true Southern Indiana Hoosiers who think that Bird's decision to come back to Indiana in order to coach the Pacers is nothing less than a fulfillment of his destiny.

Adubato will be Pitino consultant

August 6, 1997

The Celtics have added another name to the masthead. But the local real estate market won't benefit.

Former Orlando head coach Richie Adubato has been retained as a consultant in the Rick Pitino regime. He apparently will still be paid by the Magic while he does his consulting. Orlando owes him one more year on his contract, and the assignment will allow Adubato to stay put in Orlando, which he wants, and stay involved in the NBA, albeit at arm's length.

Adubato and Pitino are both disciples of the Hubie Brown School and were fellow assistants on Brown's New York Knicks staff in the mid-1980s. Adubato replaced Brian Hill as head coach of the Magic in February. He was not rehired and recently declined an offer to join Hill's staff in Vancouver.

C's Dangling 3 and 6 Picks

June 22, 1997

Assuming Dino Radja gets his mind - and left knee - straight and accepts the trade to Philadelphia, the Friday deal that brought Clarence Weatherspoon and Michael Cage from the 76ers may be simply the trigger for larger transactions.

Pitino as Coach and Bird as GM?

Pitino as Coach and Bird as GM?

May 1, 1997

Memo to Paul "Thanksdad" Gaston:

It's time. You have a chance to make the Celtics a premier team once again. Here's the plan. The first thing you must do is find a new job for M.L. Carr. Then you hire Rick Pitino as head coach, hire Larry Bird as director of basketball operations, and send Red Auerbach to the draft lottery and make sure he comes away with the No. 1 pick.

Celtics Dancing with DeClercq

July 15, 1997

The Celtics may not have any money to spend, but that unimportant technicality isn't stopping them from making deals.

Pitino Poised to Throw Dough at DeClercq

July 15, 1997

Focusing on their most glaring need, the Celtics are close to signing free agent center Andrew DeClercq to a multiyear contract, a source said.

Eye on Pitino

Aug 17, 1997

There won't be any bugs in the lights or surveillance cameras hidden in the bleachers at Brandeis, but the NBA insists it will monitor Rick Pitino's "voluntary" workout sessions the next two weeks. "We are keeping an eye on the situation," said Jeffrey Mishkin, the league's executive vice president and chief legal officer. "We will enforce our rules." The rules say that teams can't have practices, scrimmages, or workouts with the regular roster players before the start of training camp. Individual workouts with coaches are permitted. So, you think Pitino is having all these players in this week and next for one-on-ones with the coaching staff? Or that there will be no drills, scrimmages, workouts, or anything else that might be construed as a practice? Or that there really is a Tooth Fairy? Not eager to come down too hard, the NBA nevertheless did call the Celtics again last week - by our count, that's three notices this summer - to remind them what the rules are . . . Pitino isn't the only one who likes to look at his players a lot.

Waltah Hits the Ground Running

10/25/1997

The man in the suit walked by Walter McCarty at about 5:30 p.m. yesterday, 90 minutes before the Celtics' exhibition game against the Bucks, a 103-98 loss at the FleetCenter. McCarty was approaching the parquet wearing his stylish green-and-white Celtics shooting shirt. The man in the suit nodded and said, "You look good in green, Walt."

Bowen on the Bubble?

10/25/1997

The story was told for moments such as these. When Bruce Bowen signed with the Miami Heat last season, he was pulled aside by veteran Keith Askins. The message was clear: Think about basketball.

"He said to me, 'Bruce, I've seen a lot of people come and go. And I'm going to tell you, you can't worry about what management is going to do. You just have to play,' " Bowen recalled yesterday.

Celtics Waive Scottie Brooks

October 23, 1997

The story was told for moments such as these. When Bruce Bowen signed with the Miami Heat last season, he was pulled aside by veteran Keith Askins. The message was clear: Think about basketball.

"He said to me, 'Bruce, I've seen a lot of people come and go. And I'm going to tell you, you can't worry about what management is going to do. You just have to play,' " Bowen recalled yesterday.

Pitino Means What He Says . . . At Least When He Says It

October 23, 1997

Let's hope Rick Pitino can run a basketball team. We can hold him to his deeds and results. It's getting harder and harder to hold him to his words.

Chris Mills Happy Going to a Contender

October 23, 1997

Chris Mills now realizes what everyone else in New England knew this summer: Rick Pitino moves fast. There was the July afternoon he eliminated nine players from his roster in a few seconds. And there was yesterday, when he traded his

Employee #8 Drops 31, 15, and 5 in Exhibition Game

October 22, 1997

Chris Mills knew it was coming. Over the first four exhibition games, he was, as they say, adapting. Last night he took it a bit further and the Celtics came away with their first win.

Pitino Zeroing in on a Starting 5

October 21, 1997

Half the Celtics' exhibition season is complete. The second half starts tonight in Orlando, Fla., the first of four games in five days. By Sunday, Rick Pitino may still have as many wins as Dave Wannstedt.

That is not the plan or design, but it may well be the outcome. Starting tonight against the Magic, however, Pitino will try to get a rotation down as he continues to implement a system that so far has been about as successful as the Edsel.

Anthony Epps on the Radar?

October 23, 1997

Rick Pitino went out on a limb yesterday and said he was not interested in signing Anthony Epps.

The Celtics coach, like everyone else, was having some fun with the fan reaction to the acquisition of yet another one of his former players from the University of Kentucky. Before Wednesday, he had two alums from the 1996 champs. Now

Parish Mourning Celtics from Afar

6/14/97

In what may have been his career swan song, Robert Parish didn't play a single minute for the Bulls during their six-game conquest of the Utah Jazz.

So with Chicago's 90-86 victory in the bag, he had plenty of time to look east to the Celtics and what he hopes will be a successful rebuilding project.

Chris Mills Dealt for Waltah

October 23, 1997

Everyone almost forgot. There was a game last night at the FleetCenter. In fact, it was Rick Pitino's home debut against the team he last coached in the NBA.

But few people wanted to talk about Knicks-Celtics. They were more interested in the trade that sent Chris Mills to the Knicks for Walter McCarty, John Thomas, Dontae Jones, and Scott Brooks. Pitino was interested in the deal, too.

Celtics Cut Coleman

October 21, 1997

Lorenzo, we barely knew ye.

Rick Pitino made his first cut yesterday and it was hardly a jaw-dropper. Center Lorenzo Coleman, who had been playing so well that Pitino was forced to sign another big man to make Coleman break a sweat, was waived. The move reduces Boston's roster to 14 players, two above the maximum.

"He wasn't ready to play at this level," Pitino said, "but he was worth taking a look at."

Travis Knight Earns Some Praise

October 20, 1997

Travis Knight preferred to be interviewed while sitting down, and that was understandable since the Celtics center had just finished another lengthy basic training session at Camp Pitino.