Danny Ainge was finally able to get his guy at the helm in Boston, and as Doc Rivers was introduced at a press conference at the Fleet Center yesterday afternoon the Celtics owners, players and team employees all showed their appreciation.
Rivers communicated well during the conference, saying that while there might have been safer jobs for him to persue this summer Boston was the challenge he wanted because of his relationship with Ainge, they are the history enriched Celtics, and that the team always wants to win.
"I don't know [if taking this job] is a gamble," said Rivers. "Well, I guess it is, but it's the one I wanted to take. There were probably safer situations out there, but I liked this one right away. This is the Boston Celtics. I don't think you take the safe job all the time. I'm going to make this work. I have a great relationship with Danny. And I'll tell you something -- they haven't won it every year here, but they want to win it every year."
Via Boston Globe
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ESPN has announced that the Boston Celtics will name Doc Rivers as their new head coach tomorrow. A news conference is expected to take place on Thursday.
Rivers, who was fired by the Orlando Magic 11 games into the season will be with his second team as a head coach. In his four seasons with the Magic, Rivers made the playoffs three times and was coach of the year in 2000.
Rivers will be replacing interim head coach John Carroll, who on Monday was told by the Celtics that he would not be back as head coach.
Via ESPN
Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic
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In a move which came as a suprise to no one, Boston GM Danny Ainge let interim coach John Carroll know that he will not be in charge of the Celtics next season.
``A change is needed,'' said Ainge, who felt that younger players like Marcus Banks and Chris Mihm weren't given enough playing time to develop by O'Brien and Carroll. ``I've felt that way for a while, but I came to the conclusion this morning. What I'm looking for is just different.
``John did a great job. One of his strengths is communication, and that's a lost art in the coaching business today. John believes that he can do the job, but after seeing it from my perspective, I think we both agreed it's best to go in another direction.''
Carroll's curriculum vitae is certainly much improved from his tenture with the Celtics, proving that he can lead a team in distress to the Playoffs. Despite this fact Carroll knew that his chances of remaining with the Celtics were slim.
``I didn't know if I was going to be the head coach with the Celtics, but I do know I should be a head coach in the NBA somewhere,'' he said. ``My greatest gift was in bringing a certain calmness to a franchise that was in a fractured situation.''
Ainge also told assistant coaches Frank Vogel, Lester Conner, Joe Gallagher and Paul Cormier that they now are free to talk with other teams. According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald ex-Celtic and new Sixer coach Jim O'Brien reportedly called Ainge yesterday asking for permission to talk to the members of his old staff.
Murphy writes that Ainge likely will choose a candidate from a wide-ranging list that includes NBA veteran coaches Paul Westphal, Doc Rivers and Terry Stotts, assistants Lionel Hollins and Dwane Casey, and a pair of intriguing novices - Avery Johnson and Jeff Hornacek.
``Ideally, I want a coach who can coach and I don't have to worry about,'' Ainge said. ``I want to be like Jerry West and Larry Bird, out there scouting while their coaches take care of the team. You want to pat your coach on the back and let him do his job.''
Via Boston Herald
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Celtics Apr 2004 Archive
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Boston Globe | Apr 26, 2004
All signs point to the fact that Mark Blount has played his last game for the Boston Celtics.
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Boston Globe | Apr 26, 2004
With Boston losing in straight sets to the Indiana Pacers Celtics GM Danny Ainge could simply have held up a sign which read `I Told You So', writes Peter May of the Boston Globe.
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Peter May of the Boston Globe | Apr 23, 2004
Knicks forward Vin Baker will get $16 million not to play for the Boston Celtics but his former team will save a lot more with him elsewhere.
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Boston Herald | Apr 21, 2004
"While there was much talk that the Celtics wanted to miss the playoffs and get a better pick in the draft, it is interesting to note interim coach John Carroll picked up a bonus of more than $100,000 for guiding the club into the postseason.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 21, 2004
Boston rookie Brandon Hunter's bout with infamy ended after just one arm whip and six minutes of Game 1 action.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 21, 2004
The way things were going, Jermaine O'Neal felt like an intruder when he was called off the bench in the fourth quarter Tuesday.
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Philadelphia Inquirer | Apr 21, 2004
Jim O'Brien wasn't unemployed for long.
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Boston Herald | Apr 20, 2004
The Celtics took a 16-point beating in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Pacers.
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Boston Globe | Apr 20, 2004
With Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest sidelined by a league-imposed suspension, Sixth Man of the Year candidate Al Harrington will step into the starting lineup for the Pacers tonight in Game 2.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 20, 2004
The war of words between the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics has been more compelling than the basketball action on the court thus far.
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Yahoo! | Apr 19, 2004
"Indiana's Ron Artest was suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for leaving the bench during a confrontation in the Pacers' playoff win over the Boston Celtics.
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Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel | Apr 19, 2004
If the Magic believe that they can lure soon-to-be Boston Celtics center Mark Blount to Orlando with warm weather, then they might have a problem competing with the Miami Heat, who are also are interested in Blount, for his services.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 19, 2004
Richard Jefferson is not the only one facing the music over accusations of leaving the bench during his team's first game of the 2004 Playoffs.
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Boston Globe | Apr 18, 2004
The message was pretty clear.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 18, 2004
Of all the things the Boston Celtics have to work on before facing the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday, being more physical might top the list.
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Boston Herald | Apr 17, 2004
The Celtics yesterday reached a settlement with Vin Baker on the $35 million remaining on the final two years of his contract, Wyc Grousbeck, CEO and managing partner of the Celtics, said last night.
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Boston Globe | Apr 16, 2004
The Celtics set their playoff roster yesterday and there were no surprises.
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Boston Globe | Apr 16, 2004
Chucky Atkins does not believe in tact or small talk or polite conversation.
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Boston Herald | Apr 15, 2004
Had they squared off in a 3-point shootout or a game of H-O-R-S-E as players in their prime, Larry Bird and Danny Ainge probably could've put on a basketball exhibition for the ages.
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Boston Herald | Apr 15, 2004
Generally an NBA player entering a game as a substitute doesn't go for a jog along the baseline, up the sideline and across the court parallel with the 3-point arc.
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Boston Herald | Apr 14, 2004
They are riding a five-game losing streak.
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Boston Herald | Apr 13, 2004
Dana Barros has admitted to catching the bug to play again after roughly two months as a Celtics assistant coach.
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Philadelphia Inquirer | Apr 12, 2004
The race to the final playoff spot in the East is already over, the Sixers officially eliminating themselves from the race with a 89-75 to the New Jersey Nets at Continental Airlines Arena.
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Philadelphia Inquirer | Apr 11, 2004
The 76ers and more than 19,000 fans looked on anxiously Friday night while the 27-foot shot from Washington's Gilbert Arenas flew through the air just as the red light that rings the backboard went on to signify the end of the game.
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Indianapolis Star | Apr 11, 2004
Paul Pierce is hoping to take a more active role in helping to shape the future of the Boston Celtics, beyond their looming first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
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Boston Herald | Apr 9, 2004
Paul Pierce may have gone solo for a win with eight seconds left in Wednesday's eventual loss to the Heat, but Chucky Atkins believes that a de-emphasis on Pierce is what brought the Celtics back into the game from a 12-point halftime deficit.
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Boston Herald | Apr 8, 2004
Interim coach John Carroll said he's not looking over his shoulder at the Celtics' playoff pursuers.
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Boston Herald | Apr 5, 2004
Red Auerbach is happy to see the Celtics have picked it up of late, and he's solidly in Danny Ainge's corner as the club's major rebuilding process continues.
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Boston Globe | Apr 4, 2004
For the past week, coach John Carroll answered questions about the Celtics' final road trip of the regular season with nonchalance.
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Associated Press | Apr 1, 2004
BOSTON (AP) The Boston Celtics probably will have to call off a summer basketball league because of a scheduling conflict with the Democratic National Convention.
