Pat Riley dropped an “F-bomb” on Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge.
“Danny Ainge needs to shut the f*** up and manage his own team,” the majordomo of the Miami Heat said in a statement of which he clearly took editorial ownership. “He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing, and I know that because I coached against him.”
Riley’s missive toward Ainge came after the Celtics GM chastised LeBron James for his claim that the NBA and its officials don’t do enough to protect him. “I think that it’s almost embarrassing that LeBron James would complain about officiating,” Ainge told WEEI Radio in Boston.
Why did Riley break GM protocol – don’t talk about opposing teams unless asked, and when asked, only provide platitudes – and decide to unleash on Ainge? Well, that depends on your viewpoint.
From the Celtics side, the perception is that Riley could no longer contain the long-known fact that he absolutely despises the Celtics. It is a deep-seated disposition that has lasted at least 30 years, and probably longer.
From the Heat side, the perception is that Riley actually is following GM protocol and backing up his superstar in public. However unconventional it may have been, Riley fully intends on squashing the speculation surrounding James and his potential free agency in 2014 (Lakers? Back to Cleveland?) and keeping the game’s best player in South Beach for years to come.
Bottom line? James would have been better served by keeping his mouth shut.
I argued in this podcast with Yahoo Sports Radio, because he has now alerted the rest of the NBA that there is a way to get under his skin.
And with there being a strong possibility that the Milwaukee Bucks will play the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, here are a couple of names to familiarize yourself with: Gustavo Ayon, Drew Gooden, Joel Przybilla, John Henson, Ekpe Udoh.
Chances are one or more of those five players is going to collect a flagrant foul in the playoffs by knocking James on his keister and making him earn his points from the line, where he is a 75 percent foul shooter.
And if you believe the argument espoused in this terrific column by Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA front office – particularly VP of Violence Stu Jackson – will bend over backward to protect the league’s premier player. An excerpt:
In a season when James had manufactured no storylines beyond the perpetual testimonials about the greatness of his game, his venting in Chicago on Wednesday night promises to be the beginning of the framing of how he’ll be officiated in these playoffs.
This is a copycat league, and this episode will turn out to be one more way in which Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has become the most mimicked of all. …
More and more, the league office has made life easier for offensive stars – legislating easier paths to scoring, punishing hard fouls with free throws, fines and suspensions. Once, David Stern changed the rules to make it harder for the Chuck Dalys and Rileys to beat up on Michael Jordan.
Now, it will be Adam Silver’s turn with James. Make no mistake: James and his inner circle have a strong relationship with Silver, who’ll replace Stern as the NBA’s commissioner in 2014. Silver is so fond of James’ business manager Maverick Carter, he granted an interview with Forbes to render some fluffy quotes for a profile on Carter.
Stu Jackson has long overseen basketball operations for the NBA, but he’s begun the pursuit of returning to the front office of a team, sources told Yahoo! Sports. The restructuring of the league office could ultimately be dramatic, and those within the NBA are watching closely to understand how it’ll eventually trickle down to the product on the floor.
In the end, Riles’ statement was one for the history books, one of the best two-sentence releases pro sports has ever seen. Riley needs enemies, and the Celtics and Ainge will forever play the part for him. At the highest levels, the Celtics and Heat share a visceral hatred and that’s increasingly rare in this buddy-buddy era.
Secondary bottom line? James and the Heat continue to keep the NBA relevant during a time where the best basketball in the world annually takes an undeserved back seat to the NCAA Tournament, where no team has a 27-game winning streak and no one is tossing F-bombs at opponents like crosscourt passes.
Terrific theatre. And we will have more on it Sunday.
Is Stu Jackson delusional? He wants to get another front office job? He might be the worst front office guy in the history of the league. What moronic owner is going to give him that opportunity.