Danny Ainge’s revenge?
I don’t think so. Not really. Signing Darius Miles for the Celtics makes sense in all kinds of ways for the defending champs.
But after the 1992 season, with his kids settled in school in Portland, Danny Ainge was a free agent but looking forward to finishing his career as a Trail Blazer. Arguably the greatest high school athlete in the history of Oregon, Ainge was a free agent but didn’t want to go anywhere. He had grown up a Trail Blazer fan.
But Ainge said he didn’t think the Blazers made him feel wanted and ended up signing a three-year contract with the Phoenix Suns.
“There was nothing but dollars and cents with them the whole way,” Ainge said later in a splendidly written book. “I was disturbed by how money was the overriding issue. Obviously, money is important, but there is a lot more than money. . . . Over the course of the last year, I got the impression Portland intended to get me for a couple of years, sort of as a Band-Aid measure to be their guy off the bench. They didn’t have any long-term plans for me. I felt like I was deceived by Geoff (Petrie) after I first got here…”
Just remember, Blazer fans, “there is a lot more than money…”
(thanks, Wendell, for the reminder)
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | August 22, 2008
Darius Miles has killed the career of every GM stupid enough to sign him.
Danny has just signed his termination letter.
Nicely written Dwight. I find it highly doubtful Darius will be Danny’s demise. It’s not as if Danny is on thin ice, and is claiming Darius as the savior of the franchise. Darius is also going to be on a team that is not in turmoil or transition for the first time in his career, and with a similar motivator, but more player oriented coach, to Cheeks in Doc.
It could work, or not, but it is unlikelt to have a negative impact on the Celtics.
I’d like to be sitting next to Danny the first time Darius sashays in his inimitable style through six minutes of PT looking out of shape and totally lost on the floor. Or winds up in a police report.
to Jack Bog
Danny won’t have to do anything – KG will probably throw him into basket support and ripping his head off his shoulders!!!!
Oh, and 1 or 2 of those performanced will lead to his being on the NBA transaction wire – RELEASED.
The only team with something to lose in Portland – about $18M.
“KG will probably throw him into basket support and ripping his head off his shoulders!!!!”
Knowing KG, he’ll say something to that extent, then slump away from the situation like he always does. Or maybe he’ll cheap shot Darius in the family jewels, the say way he did to Fransisco Elson. KG is the quintessential all talk kind of tough guy. Just ask Antonio McDyess.