Now that a deal has finally been reached that will allow Doc Rivers to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Boston Celtics find themselves in need of a new sideline leader. With what could be a difficult rebuilding process ahead, Danny Ainge figures to seek out a fresh-faced go-getter willing to roll up his sleeves, an Xs-and-Os mastermind with a knack for developing young talent, a dedicated and tenacious professional whose commitment to hard work is legendary.
So, naturally, former Celtics All-Star Antoine Walker — whom you likely last encountered upon his retirement from pro basketball after an ill-fated attempt at a D-League comeback — thinks he should be at the top of Ainge's call sheet:
Boston fans I think it's time for me to the celtics coach !!!!!
— Antoine Walker (@WalkerAntoine8) June 24, 2013
I'm sorry, Antoine — what was that? I'm sure I misheard you.
Boston fans its time for me to be the Boston coach !!!! — Antoine Walker (@WalkerAntoine8) June 24, 2013
See, there it was again — I was pretty sure that you said you wanted to be the Celtics' new head coach, but that can't be right.
Boston fans its time for me to be the celtics coach !!!!
— Antoine Walker (@WalkerAntoine8) June 24, 2013
OK, then.
On one hand, it's not like Walker would be the first ex-player hired to coach an NBA team despite having never spent any time as an assistant or head coach anywhere else. The Orlando Magic gave Rivers a gig back without any prior experience in 2009, the Golden State Warriors brought Mark Jackson out of the broadcast booth in 2011 and the Brooklyn Nets just tapped recent retiree Jason Kidd to try to push their mammoth payroll past the first round of the playoffs. As crazy as things like this seem, we are continually reminded that they are, apparently, not as crazy as we think.
On the other, though, this is pretty obviously totally crazy. None of the aforementioned players-turned-coaches stumbled their way out of NBA circles after years of lethargy and off-court financial issues, only to cap their careers with an ignominious stint in Idaho. None of them had earned reputations for being lazy, disappointing, unwilling-to-work wastes of talent and potential. And none of them kicked off their coaching candidacies with ragged social media campaigns reproduced in triplicate. So, yeah — maybe this isn't the most well-defined and likely-to-succeed plan.
Still, it's very fun to think of this storyline unfolding in an alternate reality, one in which a serious, committed Walker was able to transform the 3-point-jacking, big-men-on-the-perimeter, point-power-forward tendencies of his playing days — all things that, as the years have progressed, have become integral parts of highly successful NBA teams, including the back-to-back NBA champion Miami Heat — into serviceable strategies for building a new-look winner in Boston that kickstarts a new chapter of achievement in the Celtics' storied history. It would be awesome if the prodigal son shimmied his way back into Boston and helped the team move on to greener pastures. I wouldn't hold my breath for it happening here on Earth-1, though; I don't think Ainge is looking to make the Celtics' teardown-and-rebuild quite this messy a sideshow.
That said: Pretty awesome that Antoine offered his statement of desire in three tweets, because duh. It'd be perfect if he did it a fourth time, though.
Hat-tip to Ben Chew at That NBA Lottery Pick.
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