Boston Celtics

Morning sports update: Rick Pitino talked about his Celtics failure, has ‘nothing but good feelings’ for Boston

"Anything that didn’t happen the right way was my fault, and I take ownership for that."

Rick Pitino walks off the court after the Celtics' loss to the Raptors on March 1, 2000. Via Globe Archives

By Hayden Bird

3 minutes to read

The return of U.S. sports leagues continues to be a question without a definitive answer. Major League Baseball is reportedly expected to present its proposal within a week, while the National Basketball Association’s route remains unclear.

Rick Pitino on what went wrong in Boston: In a recent interview with Boston Herald reporter Steve Bulpett, former Celtics coach and president of basketball operations Rick Pitino talked about his failed tenure with the team.

Hired in 1997 following back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament final with Kentucky (winning it in 1996), the former Boston University coach was given complete power in the organization to rebuild it in his image.

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The Celtics’ Pitino era began on a high note, defeating the Michael Jordan-led Bulls on opening night in a spectacular comeback.

“You know, I was blown away by it, because obviously it’s the magic of Jordan, it’s the magic of the Bulls and the Garden,” Pitino told Bulpett. “It was just a magical night. You didn’t expect big things, but obviously they came in and they weren’t sky high for us. It was the perfect psychological edge, if you can have one, and we had it that night. We caught them. And they weren’t going to sleep on us again, obviously.”

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Ultimately, Pitino couldn’t turn around the struggling Celtics, and left during the 2000-2001 season. His years of frustration with the team were symbolized by a postgame rant in 2000 in which he declared, “Larry Bird’s not walking through that door, fans.”

In retrospect, Pitino wishes he could’ve held one job, instead of also being in charge of the front office.

“If I could have just stuck to coaching and not paid attention to anything else, it would have worked out. But I didn’t, and that’s my fault. I have nothing but good feelings for the Celtics and Boston. I’m the first one to admit that I did not do a good job. Anything that didn’t happen the right way was my fault, and I take ownership for that.”

Trivia: What Red Sox player holds the team record for most extra base hits in a single season?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He became the second player after Babe Ruth to hit more than 500 career home runs.

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On this day: In 2002, Allen Iverson unleashed his iconic “practice” rant.

Anniversary of a comeback: Also on this day (a year ago), Liverpool faced a 3-0 deficit heading into the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal. Their opponent was Lionel Messi and Barcelona.

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Yet despite the daunting circumstances, Jurgen Klopp’s team battled back to win 4-0, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in history.

https://youtu.be/4NhlXGMDNq4

Trivia answer: Jimmie Foxx

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