If you want to see a perfect example of how not to run a franchise you just need to look at the Boston Celtics. Evidently that’s an honor that Danny Ainge wants to keep. In managing to completely fail at everything he does, Ainge and the Celtics have been fined $30,000 for inappropriate contact with Kevin Durant.
Ainge is being fined because he sat next to Durant’s mom during the Big 12 contract and broke the rule that prevents excessive contact with a player before they declare for the draft. I understand the fear that the NBA has here, and while I think it’s dumb, I respect them and the NCAA. They’re trying their best to prevent any corruption between players and suits in the NBA. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I can roll with it.
I can’t understand what Danny Ainge was possibly thinking when he made the decisions that he did. He knows the rules against this, and knows that nothing good can come of it. If the Celtics get the first draft pick and Durant has turned pro and gets picked by them, what choice does he have? He’s going to be a Celtic, no amount of sweet talking will change that fact. So why do something as stupid as this and get fined for it?
Ainge has managed to give the Celtics an even worse reputation than they had before. Not only are they terrible and heading in no logical direction, now they’re shady businessmen too. If Greg Oden and Durant both go pro, then Ainge has a simple decision to make and it shouldn’t take sitting with Durant’s mother at a basketball game to make that decision.
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