michaelf@ISM780.UUCP (08/13/85)
Living in Los Angeles, I am deprived of hearing tidbits
about my Celtics and THE ballplayer Larry Bird. I know what a fierce
competitor Bird is and I'd like to know if he made any comments
after their loss to the Lakers. He must be pretty pissed about the
way things turned out. If anyone has a line on Boston dirt, please
clue me in.
Next year, you Los Angeles bastards!jlp@faust.UUCP (08/15/85)
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The Globe has been pretty quiet on the basketball front this summer. I read
it constantly looking for tidbits about how the team will be shaped next
year. Here's the dirt so far:
Center:
Robert is ensconched in the starting role. Interest was expressed in
Walton's free agency, with the possibility of a trade for Maxwell the
focal point. But once Walton talked about NOT playing for the Clippers
anymore, the trade talk backed down. Now the Green probably won't give
up more than a handful of cheap draft choices for Walton, and are
probably trying to sign him outright, without worrying about that first
refusal stuff. Consider Greg Kite expendable at this point.
Forward:
Larry had some trouble with his elbow a few weeks back, having
difficulty playing golf or some such. He rested the 'bow with his macho
self, and now says everything is OK. I don't suspect he'll go under the
knife this year, unless something traumatic happens during the season.
Look for McHale to be moved to starter, especially if Maxwell is
traded. One gets the impression from the press that the front office is
somewhat undecided about the fate of Maxwell, balancing between loyalty
( Maxwell is the most senior Celtic ), and retribution for they
perceive as Max's dogging it last year. Max carries a hefty $800K
contract. The discussions with the Clippers had the Celts pikcing up
part of that cash to get Maxwell off their hands. As previously
mentioned, that has fallen through. Scott Wedman may be moving into his
last season this year. How he will leave has not been discussed with
the press.
Guard:
First Round draft choice Sam Vincent, Dennis Johnson, and Ray Williams
all have the same agent, Slaughter. The Celts desparately want DJ back,
and will probably make whatever concessions necessary to do that.
Williams may be considered expendable. They are inclined to make space
more Vincent, although the Kid is really untried in the Green's eyes.
Nothing has been said this summer on Ainge ( if you discount the Ainge-
McHale-Maxwell for Ewing trade :-)).
Latest News: (Boston Globe, Thursday, 8/15/85)
Larry Bird will test his injured elbow next week in a special
performance when the Celtics' rookies and free agents arrive at Camp
Milbrook in Marshfield for closer inspection by the coaching staff.
Bird, who would not normally attend, will join in the early workouts
under the scrutiny of team president Red Auerbach, general manager Jan
Volk, and the owners.
"Larry will give his elbow a few workouts, and we will see how he feels
and how it responds," said Auerbach. "It's pretty much the same
situation we had at the end of last season. When it was all over, we
got together and decided how we were going to handle the situation.
"Next week, after he gives it a test in competition, we will do the
same thing. All of us wll sit down and figure out what would be the
best thing to do."
Bird's cranky right elbow has provern mysterious. Even a visit last
week to Dr. Lanny Johnson in Lansing, Mich., regarded as the top elbow
specialist in the country, did not show anything definite. And because
there is doubt whether Bird's elbow should be operated on, both the
player and the management are reluctant to have it tampered with.
Hope this fills in the gap for you out in California. Pink Tofu- blechh!
Jerryl Payne
...!ihnp4!inmet!faust!jlpmcal@ihuxb.UUCP (Mike Clifford) (08/26/85)
> > Living in Los Angeles, I am deprived of hearing tidbits > about my Celtics and THE ballplayer Larry Bird. I know what a fierce > competitor Bird is and I'd like to know if he made any comments > after their loss to the Lakers. He must be pretty pissed about the > way things turned out. If anyone has a line on Boston dirt, please > clue me in. > > Next year, you Los Angeles bastards! I hear that the elbow problem is still a mystery and that he wrenched his back in a golf tournament! Supposed to not be serious, though. Mike Clifford