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Tag: Celtics

  • Rick Pitino is Told He Stinks During an Interview

    You’d think that getting inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame would buy you at least a month before getting heckled in an interview, but that isn’t the case for Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.

    During an interview on a local Boston radio station on Thursday, radio show host Fred Toucher had one thing to say to Pitino: “You stink!” Listen here.

    Fred: We are joined by Rick Pitino, former coach of the Celtics, current coach of the Louisville Cardinals who won the national championship. Rick Pitino, hello!

    Pitino: Morning, guys.

    Fred: You stink. You ruined the Celtics.

    As soon as Toucher delivered his heart-warming message to Pitino, he hung up on the coach without giving him an opportunity to respond (although it’s likely that Pitino would have hung up himself after getting past the initial shock). It’s not like anyone keeps a record on radio interview lengths, but if they did, that would definitely go down in the books as the shortest radio interview ever.

    While there are some basketball fans out there who probably got a chuckle out of the interview, it’s pretty sad that the station wasted their time and Pitino’s with this. Pitino has been busy promoting his new book, “One-Day Contract,” plus the coach of the 2013 NCAA Tournament winners has been on the road recruiting.

    And just in case anyone is wondering, Pitino hasn’t coached for the Boston Celtics since 2001. Pitino didn’t have a successful run there, true, but the Celtics have won an NBA Championship and several division titles since Pitino’s departure.

    Some Twitter users think people are making too big of a deal over the radio host’s comments, but most people agree that it was a classless move. What do you think? Add your comments below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jared Sullinger Arrested In Domestic Dispute

    Jared Sullinger, the Celtics forward, has been arrested for domestic-violence related charges, after a dispute with his girlfriend. It was alleged that he repeatedly pinned his girlfriend to a bed and then the floor. Officers were called to Sullinger’s residence on Saturday night by his girlfriend, Deann Smith. She told the police that he had assaulted her earlier in the day after accusing her of cheating on him and then started to pack her things. This just escalated things more and he continued to get more aggressive.

    After losing Sullinger to an injury at the end of last season, they need to have him around in this season, and preferably free of drama. Sullinger is certainly a key piece in the rebuilding stage of the Celtics franchise, after trading away their all-star players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. He is only 21 years old and just enjoyed success as a rookie with the Celtics, before injuring his back near the end of the season. The team released a statement on Tuesday afternoon, following his arrest. According to ESPN, the statement said “The Celtics were disappointed to learn of the allegations against Jared and are currently gathering more information on the situation, which we are taking very seriously.”

    Sports Illustrated stated that Sullinger took a pre-scheduled flight to Ohio shortly after the incident. The warrant for his arrest came shortly after, and he was forced to return. Waltham, Massachussets police issued a warrant for his arrest, and he decided to turn himself in on Tuesday morning. Later that day, he appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at 5,000 and he paid the plea and is a free man already. He appeared in Waltham District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery, destruction of property and the obstruction of a witness. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 19.

    Sullinger did issue an apology on behalf of the team, where he discussed the sorrow and embarrassment that incident brought on himself as well as his girlfriend and the Boston Celtics organization. An incident like this will not looked in the eyes of his teammates or his fans in the off-season. He has spent much of this off-season in rehab already, and needs to be in good physical and mental shape as he prepares for the 2013-2014 season.

    Image via Twitter

  • Brad Stevens Hired As New Celtics Coach

    The Butler Bulldogs will play their first season in the revamped Big East next season, but they will do so without wonderboy coach Brad Stevens.

    As reported by ESPN this afternoon, the Boston Celtics have hired Stevens to replace former coach Doc Rivers. Rivers parted with the Celtics earlier this week to become coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. Rivers is highly respected around the NBA and losing him was seen as a major blow to Boston, but they wasted no time in bringing in an exciting replacement.

    Stevens first gained national attention as the young, strategically brilliant coach of an overachieving Butler team that found their way to the National Championship game against Duke; a game in which the Bulldogs nearly captured the title on a last-second shot. A repeat performance the following year cemented Stevens as one of the hottest names in coaching, collegiate or otherwise.

    Stevens will become Boston’s coach despite having a contract with Butler University that was to extend to the 2021-2022 season. While he had turned down prestigious coaching offers in the past, the lure of the green and white proved to be enough, as sports writer J.A. Adande expressed on Twitter following the announcement of the hire.

    The move proves that even the most dedicated of college coaches can be pulled away by the possibility of greatness on the next level, not to mention the salary increase. Stevens joins the ranks of such other coaches as Rick Pitino, John Calipari, and Larry Brown, who all made the jump to the pros. Brown remains the only coach to win a championship at both collegiate and professional levels, doing so with the Kansas University Jayhawks and the Detroit Pistons respectively. Whether or not Stevens can become the second is the question on everyone’s mind.

  • Celtics Player Arrested: Terrence Williams Accused Of Brandishing A Gun

    Boston Celtics guard Terrence Williams was arrested Sunday in Washington State on charges of brandishing a firearm. According to police, the incident happened during an argument with the mother of his 10-year-old son. When Williams arrived to pick up his son, he got into an argument with the boy’s mother. During the argument Williams allegedly made threats and brandished a firearm.

    Williams was later tracked down by police and arrested, though his gun was not found. He appeared in court yesterday in Kent, Washington, where a judge set his bail at $25,000.

    According to the Boston Herald, officials with the Celtics have declined to comment on the situation, the organization is said to be conducting its own investigation of the incident, per policy.

    Williams came to the Celtics late last season after playing for the Nets, Rockets, Kings, and a team in China. He played a handful of games – including two playoff games – last season. The Celtics have signed him to a $948,000 contract, provided he earns a spot on the team’s roster during training camp.