It has been 13 years since professional basketball first said hello to Paul Pierce, and luckily, the face of the game’s most decorated franchise hasn’t changed. Living for this moment, Pierce goes to work every night and succeeds in the shadow of irony: an underappreciated star who doubles as the greatest scorer in Celtics’ history. For the world, that should be enough. Read More »

On the night after another wild NBA trade deadline — before which almost 50 players were traded — Chicago looked like the big winner for not doing a damn thing. Trailing Miami by 11 in the third quarter, the Bulls may have been starting to regret not pulling off a deal for somebody like J.R. Smith or O.J. Mayo. Instead, Derrick Rose brought them storming back and the Bulls handed the Heat another loss to an elite team … Chicago was up three with 1:30 to go in the fourth as Rose (26 points) and LeBron James (29 points, 10 rebounds) matched up head-to-head. Read More »

You can’t imagine how many people have hit me up today asking for my thoughts on the Kendrick Perkins/Nate Robinson trade. At first, I was as surprised as any of you. But after realizing at the start of the season that we (I’m speaking as a Celtics fan here) wouldn’t have the money to be able to re-sign Perk this summer, I knew there was always the chance that he wouldn’t be there for the quest to Banner 18. But for those of you that wanna blame Danny Ainge, you can cop this. Read More »

Danny Ainge definitely went to work today. Some may even say he went to town. After trading Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City, he traded three more players – Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden and Luke Harangody – to clear roster spots. Here’s what went down: Read More »

Earlier this summer, it was rumored that Donnie Walsh was grooming Allan Houston to become the next general manager of the New York Knicks. Not long after that, team owner James Dolan (briefly) re-hired Isiah Thomas as a part-time consultant, and rumors began to fly that Isiah was being set up to eventually take over for Walsh, who is 69 years old. And as recently as earlier this week, when the Knicks were the subject of NBA TV’s “Real Training Camp,” Houston was interviewed and mentioned as Walsh’s possible successor. Read More »

Never bet against Danny Ainge. As the mastermind behind the modern day Celtics, he seems to always be able find just the right pieces to compete for a championship. And apparently one of those potential pieces is Adam Morrison. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have had the 26-year-old working out for their front-office and coaching staffs this week at the team’s practice facility, and have also worked out Cuttino Mobley, Rashad McCants and Trenton Hassell the past couple days. No word on whether or not Steve Francis or Latrell Sprewell were contacted. Read More »

The Boston Celtics just completed an improbable run to within one quarter of an NBA championship. Still, it sounds like GM Danny Ainge will be aggressive once again come Draft night.

Longtime NBA beat writer Sam Amick tweeted early this morning: “Boston is dangling Kendrick Perkins and its No. 19 pick with the hopes of getting into the high lottery, according to a league source.” Let the games begin. Read More »

As millions across the globe tune in to the season finale tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes for a 16th championship will rest largely on the shoulders of Spanish center Pau Gasol. The 7-footer, who has dominated the Boston Celtics’ frontcourt to the tune of 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, is representative of a gradual change in the NBA. The intense skepticism that formerly accompanied each and every foreign selection has begun to fade, with increasing success enjoyed by many recent imports. But as David Stern’s tentacles continue their surge across the globe, resulting in countless preseason camps held overseas, an influx of European sharpshooters, and even the newest issue of Dime China that just hit the office, there remains one team seemingly impervious to the stretching of the League’s global boundaries: the Boston Celtics. Read More »

The NBA sent a clear message to Danny Ainge and any other front-office executive who wants to sit amongst the “regular” folk at a game: Just because you’re with the fans doesn’t mean you get to act like one.

After Ainge was seen tossing a towel in the air while Cleveland’s J.J. Hickson shot free throws during Game 2 of Celtics/Cavs — an old-school trick that can draw a player on the bench a technical if he’s caught — he was fined $25,000 by the League for “creating an unauthorized distraction” and “conduct detrimental to the game.” Read More »

Two weeks ago, while the Celtics were destroying Miami in Game 2 of their first-round series and the announcers were telling stories to kill time, Reggie Miller recounted an incident from his playing days: While an opponent was shooting free throws, Jamaal Tinsley strategically tossed a towel in the air over on the Pacers’ bench within the shooter’s peripheral vision, drawing a technical foul. Reggie said he’d never seen that happen before or since, and wasn’t even sure it was a rule. Read More »