Done Deal! Big Ticket to Beantown!

That’s right, the league approved it, ESPN just reported it, and I just wrote it.
Kevin Garnett is a member of the Boston Celtics. My favorite team, the team that I have been following since I was a little kid with big curly hair. The team that for the last 20 years has been lingering between mediocre and tragic. After all the heartbreak, misfortune, poor management and frustration here is our pay-day. The big ticket is in Green. Many fans are annoyed that the Celtics traded away the “future” for a shot to win now in the current window the team has in the eastern conference. Annoyed!!! How are you annoyed with Kevin Garnett joining the Boston Celtics? Yes, this is a bold move, but a move that had to be done after the misfortune on draft lottery night. Many think they know what a great talent Kevin Garnett is, most don’t know the half of it. This guy plays with a passion and a fire that no one in the game can match. He simply brings it every single night.

Guess what Rick Pitino? Kevin Garnett is walking thru that door, he is walking thru it for a 6pm press conference to join the Celtics. While I could sit here and tear apart the jobs Pitino, M.L. Carr, Chris Wallace and to an extent Danny Ainge did, move by move I will not. I also will not list all of the bad drafts, playoff disappointments, tragedies and front office issues that have happened since the Big Three left for good 15 years ago. That is not to mention the teasing, the negative comments and the dreadful conversations I have been subjected to be involved in with certain New York Knick and New Jersey Net fans throughout the years (You know who you are, Mac, you are obviously not included here)

It is a time to celebrate the return of basketball to Boston and the return of the Celtics to the forefront of the NBA. They now have three all stars who are hungry, real hungry. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have one glaring thing in common, they have never played in the NBA finals. I can’t wait to see the chemistry these three develop out there on the court. Another interesting thing to take note of is this; all three have appeared in the conference finals one time each. The same year each of these players played in the conference finals (Ray Allen in 2001 with the Bucks, Pierce in 2002 and Garnett in 2004) they had the best player that they had ever played with along with them. Glen Robinson with Allen in Milwaukee, Antoine Walker with Pierce in Boston and the combination of Sprewell and Cassell with Garnett in Minnesota. Now all three of these players will be wearing the same uniform, working towards the same goal; making the Celtics a champion again.

To give you an idea of the kind of competitor and talent that Garnett is watch the two videos below. This guy is all about the game and about TEAM. It is so refreshing.








Yes, the Celtics have to add a few little pieces to solidify things and starting tomorrow I will start figuring out who fits best and how the money works out, but until then it is time to sit back, smile and enjoy.

A special thanks to those close to me that have supported me thru the good times and bad of being a Celtics fan. You know who you are…

Done Deal?

I spent the second half of the afternoon at Niketown, filming a WNBA/Nike event for my man PR at Nike Basketball.
When I was done I had a boat load of text messages and emails to sort out, mostly in regards to the Kevin Garnett deal to Boston, which is all but finalized. I want to rejoice, I want to start yelling like I just dunked on Zach Randolph the new youthier player on the hated Knicks, but I can't yet. I need to wait until this is officially, official. I have been digging since 6pm but I think the deal will not be approved by the league until Tuesday morning. The other sticking point with me, not a deal breaker, but a something I am hoping is that Ryan Gomes is not going to Minnesota along with Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff and Sebastian Telfair. Gomes is a unique player, and since we are trading 4 for 1 it would be nice to keep Gomes as a solid reserve for the NEW CELTICS. There will also be times when Gomes can team with Garnett up front at the 4 and 5 spots when the team wants to have a quicker lineup in the game.

To be brutally honest and you will find me just that most of the time, this has not set in yet. After the debacle of last season, the disappointment of draft lottery night and 20 years of struggles I guess I had my doubts on whether Danny Ainge could pull this off. It looks like he actually did, but we will know officially Tuesday morning. Until then I will be manning the grill on the balcony, chilling with my news team and dreaming of what could be banner #17.

Simply Pure...

Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted into the hall of fame yesterday in Cooperstown, New York. I could not imagine doing anything better in regards to sports on a rainy quiet Sunday than watching this historic induction. Not only are Gwynn and Ripken two of the best to ever play the game and do it with class and dignity they both played their entire careers with one organization. It was always odd to people that while growing up in New York Gwynn was my favorite player as a kid and remains my favorite athlete of all time, sharing that title with Larry Legend. Both players are the ultimate examples of how to go about being a professional athlete, or for that matter a professional in any sense. I think the attendance yesterday at Cooperstown supports my feeling, 70,000 people. That is 20,000 more then there has ever been at any induction ceremony.

While watching the ceremony it brought me back to a time when baseball and professional sports for that matter were in a different place. When you could watch a game without having corporate America stuffed down your throat at every opportunity. It was also a time when you did not suspect that a majority of the guys in the league were involved with steroids.

The accomplishments of both Gwynn and Ripken are startling to say the least.



http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gwynnto01.shtml



http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ripkeca01.shtml

Between Ripken’s consecutive games streak and Gwynn’s streak of .300 seasons and the way they conducted themselves throughout their careers makes me think we will never see the likes of two talents like this again in baseball or in any sport for that matter.

In a month where the controversial Barry Bonds is about to pass the great Henry Aaron, Michael Vick was indicted by the federal government and NBA referee Tim Donaghy has reportedly been involved in fixing games with his whistle, yesterdays Gwynn and Ripken induction could not have come at a better time.

I genuinely enjoyed the speeches given by both players. A few things Gwynn said will resonate with me forever. He talked about hard work and being a professional, and acknowledging that is what the expectations are supposed to be. He then followed that up with addressing the responsibility that you have as a professional when you put that uniform on in regards to your behavior on the field, in the clubhouse and as a member of the community. It was one of the best messages I have ever heard an athlete deliver.

To Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. thank you. Thank you for your contributions both on the diamond and in the community. You took full advantage of your opportunity and made world, not just the baseball world a better place. You can guarantee that they will both continue to do so.

Back on the Radar!

While yesterday served as a special afternoon in sports as Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY it now must be pushed to the side for the moment as the Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics trade rumors have resumed, and this time they seem to be for real. Like the calm before the storm things have been pretty quiet since draft night on the player and transaction page, as opposed to the referee disrepecting the game and endangering the sport page. But with the Celtics taking a little to long to offer Al Jefferson his contract extension (he would become a restricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season) you had to think Danny Ainge had something large in the works. The trade rumor is being reported by multiple outlets. I am not going to sit here and spectulate about the other players involved besides Al Jefferson as different players are being mentioned. But I am actually having trouble thinking right now. I mean, Kevin Garnett on my Boston Celtics! With Paul Pierce and Ray Allen! Will that work? Can it work? Are we giving up to much of the "future?" Will Garnett really be happy in Boston and sign a significant extension? I love Garnett and wanted Ainge to go after him in the worst way after the debacle which was the draft lottery night on May 22 but to be honest, with all that has gone wrong with the Green and White in the last twenty years I never really thought they'd have a chance to get him. I'll be all over this for the immediate future. Hall of Fame recap to follow. Boston go get KG!!! Enjoy your Monday morning.

Remembering Reggie...

On July 27, 1993, fourteen years ago today, the Boston Celtics, the basketball community and the world lost Reggie Lewis at the age of 27. Reggie by all accounts was a great husband, loving father, well-respected teammate and a wonderful member of the community. As Captain of the Boston Celtics he will always be remembered for his silky smooth drives to the rim, his feathery pull up jump shot and his ability to harass the opposition defensively. More importantly he was "The Future". As a member of the community one of the highlights was Reggie’s Turkey drive in the city of Boston that helped the less fortunate every holiday season. There is not a year that goes by on this day that I don’t sit and think about Reggie Lewis and what it was like to watch him play and think about how painful it was back in 1993 when he collapsed and passed away while shooting baskets at Brandeis University in Boston. I can't imagine the pain that his family endured.

The controversy and ugliness that surrounded Lewis’ health, medical procedure, and cause of death have been argued and debated both in and out of the courts since he passed on. Questions will always linger about Reggie and whether or not he indeed did do drugs which could have caused his heart condition. But on this day let us remember the man and all the good he did for his family, the community and the game of basketball.

I miss you Reggie…

Summer Time!

The Coach has been gone for a bit, but my writing absence can solely be attributed to me being out there keeping my life moving forward. I should also mention that I have been having a blast in New York especially since my teaching duties have ended. Besides the cold beer, the tight shirts and little skirts that are everywhere coach has been off doing the following:
Since June 14th I have traveled to Iceland, (Yes, the country Iceland)
Was a guest at the NBA Draft



Caught Woody Allen's Annie Hall at the Bryant Park movies
Worked on Melo’s 3 on 3 community basketball event in Baltimore
Gotten back into training, hitting the bars and of course Grilling on the balcony
And last but certainly not least was the Best Man at my brother’s wedding this past weekend.





Some of the latest basketball excitement believe it or not is based around the Boston Celtics. I was lucky enough to be at the NBA Draft. After the draft lottery fiasco (footage to be released soon) I was beyond nervous for what Danny Ainge and Co. were going to do on draft night. Would it be Jeff Green or Corey Brewer? Both who are NBA ready players in my opinion, but both players I did not see stepping into a major role with the Celtics right away, which is what they need. Then there was the option of drafting Yi. This kid is very talented, but a project. The drafting of Yi (who has yet to commit to the Bucks who drafted him at #6 ahead of Corey Brewer) would signal that the team is not interested in doing what is necessary to win now with Paul Pierce and signal more time “rebuilding”, no thanks. So instead of drafting one of these players Danny Ainge and the Celtics rolled the dice. They traded the 5th pick in the draft, which turned out to be Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West for 7 time All-Star Ray Allen. When the deal was announced at the draft I was not sure how to react. I guess with all the KG and Shawn Marion rumors along with not landing in the top 2 of the lottery drawing in May the thought of Ray Allen in Boston never really crossed my mind. What I also could not believe was that the Celtics were able to get rid of Wally’s contract. Now there was a lot to think about on draft night and the stimulation of being there and then having to digest this deal was kind of crazy. Imagining Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson and Ray Allen on the court at the same time knowing you can no longer swarm Pierce with 2 or3 defenders brings an immediate smile to my basketball crazed face. Many of the haters with a column, a blog or a microphone are ripping on the Celtics as far as this deal goes citing Allen’s age and his MINOR ANKLE surgery, which cut his season short last year. Allen is a pro’s pro. He brings it every night, is a team guy and will be able to contribute heavily both on the court, in the locker room and in the community. Oh yeah, he also scored twenty six points per game last year and is second all time in three point field goals made trailing only Reggie Miller. The question that looms is what’s the next move for the Green?