Green Runs Deep in the NBA

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/01/celtics_pride_to_go



Celtics Pride to go
Flip, Doc repainting 
with shades of Green




Sunday, January 12, 2014
By:  Steve Bulpett



Through the course of their history, the Celtics’ style of play has been a model for other teams on all levels of the game. But the way the franchise handles things off the court is apparently an ideal, as well.

One of Brad Stevens’ first moves after being hired as coach last summer was to send a letter to all former players inviting their continued involvement with the club.

History is obviously a very important aspect of the Celtics, and it certainly helps that so much of theirs is positive. Both Flip Saunders, who spent the 2012 with the Celts as a coaching consultant, and Doc Rivers are trying to recreate the Shamrock family feeling with Minnesota and the Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.

Rivers’ new team has never made it to a conference final, and the Timberwolves haven’t even been in the playoffs since making it to the West finale in 2004. And while the Celtics have 17 championships, this is just the 25th year the Wolves have been in existence.

“But we’re still trying to do what we can with that,” said Saunders, who now heads the club’s basketball operation. “I saw what they had in Boston with the former players around and the history, and we have to start getting that. We don’t want to forget about the people that were here. You have to start sometime. If you keep on waiting, you never get it going.

“But you see it in Boston with the tradition and the way they treat everything first class no matter what they do. I think that’s important. They have that tradition and that passion, and that’s something we’re working toward capturing here.”

Rivers is starting off with a dynamic group of players in Los Angeles, but after walking into a veritable museum of basketball history with the Celtics, he has joined a club that would just as soon forget much of its past.

“I just came from one of the best team names — I think the best — in basketball, and I saw a lot of stuff that I learned there,” said Rivers. “I’m saying that about even when we were bad. Being around Tommy (Heinsohn) and Bob Cousy and (John) Havlicek and KC Jones — those guys and Red (Auerbach) — for my first three years, it was amazing. The love they have for each other, how they put Bill (Russell) on this pedestal. . . . A lot of times when you get around ex-players and you’re talking about the stars, there’s always this little jealousy stuff. There’s none of that with the Celtics. They talk about Red with this fatherly love. They talk about their team as their team.

“A lot of those guys from those teams went other places and did other things, but they had that in them and that will never go away. Just being around that taught me a ton, and I’m looking at this team and this organization, and that’s my goal. If just somehow I could form that, to me it’s the challenge of challenges. It does excite me, trying to change this culture to guys wanting to win instead of trying to keep their jobs. There’s a lot of survivors in our league.”

That last part is largely in regard to the front office. It’s been written here over the years that one of Danny Ainge’s best assets as Celtic president of basketball operations is that he has never done his job to keep his job. Many GMs will avoid making the move they want because it is risky and could blow up on them if it fails. As he now runs his own operation with the Clippers, Rivers believes the fact Ainge doesn’t worry about his job allows him better focus.

“That’s what makes him great,” Rivers said. “Danny and I had disagreements, but it was never a big deal. I do think what makes Danny good — I think great — and what made me a better coach is when I stopped worrying about my job (security). I didn’t care any more about losing my job. I did my job. I just cared about doing the right thing. I think that’s how you have to do it.

“In this league, to be successful, you have to do what’s right for your team and your players. It’s freed me as a person and as a coach, and I think it’s what makes Danny great, as well. We were willing to argue about something, to fight for what we believed in. We were willing to take chances together and not give a (expletive) about the things that get in the way of most people in the business.

“That’s what I want to get here, and it’s hard because people have always not done that here. We’ve got a long way to go, but in the short time I’ve been here everybody here has been great.”

This week’s C’s timeline

Tomorrow vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m. — The Celts may still be getting frightening flashbacks from their November visit to Houston. They trailed the Rockets by as many as 35 before settling for a 109-85 loss. Houston scored 18 of the game’s first 19 points and led by 22 after a quarter. Terrence Jones led the Rockets with 24 in that one, but Dwight Howard and James Harden will be the major concerns here.

Wednesday vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m. — Remember when the Celtics were the kings of the Titanic . . . er, Atlantic Division? Well, the Raptors have captured that honor, developing into a better team after trading away Rudy Gay.

Friday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. — A proud franchise with numerous NBA titles struggles as it tries to rebuild on the fly while missing its best player to injury. Sound familiar? Rajon Rondo isn’t Kobe Bryant, but the Celtics and Lakers are in a rather similar position for the moment.

PLAYER BRANDING IS ALL IN THE (NICK)NAME

The Nets and Heat wore nicknames on the backs of their jerseys Friday, an exercise that while fun is also clearly aimed at moving more merchandise. Paul Pierce had “Truth” on his jersey, while Ray Allen went with his silver screen name, “J. Shuttlesworth.”

Heat big man Joel Anthony wore “Doc” above his number, which got us thinking about a couple of Celtics Docs and the fact their names were spawned by a more famous NBA star with the same moniker.

Glenn Rivers became Doc during a summer basketball camp when he wore a Julius Erving “Dr. J” T-shirt and then-Marquette assistant coach Rick Majerus began calling him by the name.

Chris Ford was also known almost exclusively as “Doc” around the Celts after making a move on Erving during his playing days. (Some say Cedric Maxwell hung it on him after Ford made a fancy drive in practice.)

INSIDE JOB
FOR TRUTH

It should be no surprise that Brooklyn forward Paul Pierce is doing better now that he’s playing inside more for the Nets. At 36, his advanced age has taken away some of his outside maneuverability, and he was always the best post player on his Celtic teams.




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