Ainge to have his number retired

[Celts09]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/52991/20080615/ainge_to_have_his_number_retired/

Celtics' executive Danny Ainge will reportedly have his number retired by the team if he is able to bring the city yet another title, according to The Boston Herald.

"It’s true," managing partner Wyc Grousbeck said Saturday. "It was a long time ago, and it was kind of a lighthearted thing, but I was completely serious about it. Danny declined the offer, but if we’re fortunate enough to win, we’ll be having that conversation again."

[Falstaff]

Scalabrine is going to sabotage the next three games now. You don't mess with Veal's number.

[bruno sundov]

I think if we win a couple of championships, they should just put the initials, DA in the rafters.

[freakon0mics]

I probably doubted a couple of his moves but overall he has done the best job you can ask from a GM. I love it when its draft time for Ainge. He knows the gems of the draft and we were fortunate enough to get some gems to trade for veterans. His number getting retired is deserving and a long time coming.

[Datruth345]

I've been a huge Ainge supporter since day 1

but i don't think he deserves this

[Gant]

I've been a huge Ainge supporter since day 1

but i don't think he deserves this

He doesn't deserve it solely as a player and he doesn't deserve it solely as a GM, but if you put the two together- Hey, he probably does.*

*if they win #17.

[Gomes3PC]

Ainge was the big-time home run hitter of GMs. He really put his eggs all in one basket, by basically tanking and hoping that he could either get a stud franchise rookie (Oden or Durant), or use the youngsters acquired in the past to trade for veterans. While he got a lot of help from some bad GMs (thanks Kevin, you'll always be a Celtic!), it's not like Red didn't swindle the bad GMs either, whether it was Russell or Parish or drafting Bird a year early.

I don't know about being inducted as a player, since he was basically a super sub, but as a complete member of the franchise I think it would be a nice token. Guys like Danny and Tommy Heinsohn deserve to be remembered, so that the idea of a Celtics family lives on.

I think the thing I will be most interested to see in the future is which Celtics right now will be around the franchise in the future like Tommy, Cornbread, and Danny are from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

[Fencer reregistered]

I don't know about being inducted as a player, since he was basically a super sub.

Well, he was a starter. But he was the only starter that nobody would ever think belongs in the Hall of Fame. It's not obvious that he was a better player than, say, Antoine Walker.

The difference is that he was the fifth or sixth best player on the team, while Toine was the second-best.

[spf211]

If you think about it -- if the Celtics win a 17th championship under Ainge, it will be the first title in the history of the franchise won by a team that was not either coached or constructed by Red Auerbach.

That alone qualifies for retirement in the post-Auerbach era.

[threrf23]

This would also overshadow Jiri Welsch's legacy

[Gomes3PC]

Somewhere, CelticsHistoryLesson is doing a backflip he's so excited. The more white guys up in the rafters, the better!

[Celtics_Champs]

I am all for it.

that is if we win...