Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and team president Rich Gotham addressed the media last night for the first time this offseason. Ainge spoke on the departure of Doc Rivers, who will be officially named head coach and vice president of basketball operations with the Los Angeles Clippers at a press conference this afternoon.
Ainge told reporters that from the start of the offseason, he expected Rivers to return as the Celtics head coach. Even as the talks with the Clippers went on and off, Ainge never felt the deal would get done.
"We were really never close to a deal with the Clippers, despite the reports," Ainge said. "So I think that this is part of the business."
"It still probably hasn't hit me because I didn't really think it was going to happen. I have not talked to one coaching candidate at this point. I think [Monday] for the first time really, I thought, 'This is going to happen. This is probably going to happen.' Up until that time, I never really thought it was going to happen."
Ainge laid out a timeline of how this whole thing unravelled.
"On May 3rd, our season ended [with a first-round playoff exit against the New York Knicks]. And there was some uncertainty as to whether Doc would return to the Celtics or not at that time -- I wasn’t aware of it then, but [the media] made me aware of it... I had every reason to believe that he would come back, but coaching is hard, and it’s draining, and what people say at the end of a long season, you don’t take to heart.
"On May 8th, Doc and I had a conversation about his future and I was curious about which way he was leaning and why... He was uncertain still at that time, but wondered what his options were.
"On May 9th, we sent him a letter saying that we expected him to be our coach, and he was under contract to be our coach for three more years. That was our intention all along and that’s what we hoped he would do. And then in subsequent weeks, conversations started as he still had uncertainty as to what he would do.
"[Soon after], we had a conversation, him and I, as friends and partners over the last nine years, and a guy that I really trust, we had a conversation that we discussed the possibility of him trying to get the Clippers job. There were other teams that were interested in hiring Doc, [but] we didn’t allow any of them to talk to Doc that had inquired. But the Clippers was one that intrigued him a little bit. I’m sure their great mix of talent had a lot to do with that, and his friends Skip and Al -- his golfing buddies out in Bel-Air -- had a lot to do with that. But with the idea that, if it wasn’t going to be a win-win-win situation, if it wasn’t good for the Celtics -- which is what my job is: Do what’s best for the Celtics -- and if it wasn’t good for him, it wasn’t good for the Clippers, we just wouldn’t do a deal. And he’d come back and coach [the Celtics]."
When asked why Rivers left, Ainge said that Rivers felt it was time for a new voice and he felt he wasn't getting through to some of his players. One of those players might be Rajon Rondo.
Over the weekend, there were reports of a near fight between Rivers and Rondo during a film session two seasons ago. Many felt that Rivers' relationship with Rondo was a big reason behind Doc's departure. Ainge's thoughts? "Rajon Rondo had nothing to do with this."
Ainge admitted that if Rivers did not take the Clippers job, he was fully prepared to come back and coach the Celtics.
While ruling himself out of the running, Ainge admitted that there is no urgency and no timetable as far as hiring a coach is concerned.
Of course, questions about the futures of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett arose. Ainge said that no decisions have been made regarding the two.
“I love Paul and KG and we haven’t made that decision yet,” Ainge said. “KG’s under contract, and Paul we have an option on in five days from now, and those are very big decisions for us. But those decisions, I’m not certain about either one of those."
Ainge also pointed out that the departure of Rivers will have nothing to do with what happens with Pierce and Garnett. Garnett was involved in rumors of going to the Clippers. However, as part of the compensation agreement with the Clippers, the Celtics and Clips cannot exchange players until the end of the 2013-2014 season.
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