Olowokandi makes surprise appearance

There was a verifiable Michael Olowokandi sighting yesterday as the Celtics endured yet another Media Day. To say it was a bit of a surprise would be an understatement.

The Kandi Man, last seen here riding the pine for the 33-win Celtics of 2005-06, showed up with no guarantees, for the veteran minimum, and as the 18th name on a roster that can accommodate only 15 players. Olowokandi, the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NBA draft, was a free agent all summer, but there was little to no interest in the 7-foot center. He planned on trying out for the Suns until Phoenix signed Jumaine Jones. So he picked up the phone over the weekend and talked his way back to Boston.

"I was surprised to see him," said Kendrick Perkins. "But he's talented, he knows the game, and he's a very smart player. Plus, he got his hair cut."

Olowokandi appeared in 16 games for the Celtics, averaging about 10.4 minutes per contest. He did not figure into the team's plans going forward, but he is here to hear it and see it for himself. According to Olowokandi, he wanted his agent to do a deal with Boston and was told there was no interest. As he put it yesterday, "I called Doc [Rivers] because I just wanted to find out for myself. And that's when I heard that it was other than what I had thought and been told."

Said Rivers, ``He was looking for a place to compete for a job. We felt from having him here last year that it was worth bringing him in. He's a great guy to have in the locker room. Those are the kinds of guys you want. It's always a good feeling when someone chooses you instead of someone else."

It's not clear how many ``someone elses" there were out there. Save for one year with the Clippers, Olowokandi has never played to the level that was expected of him. The Clippers decided not to re-sign him. The Timberwolves traded him. The Celtics didn't exactly put the full-court press on him over the summer. But here he is -- and at no risk or cost to the team. If he was anybody else, we'd call him a training camp body, which is probably closer to the truth.

``Doc will always give you an opportunity, and it's about making the most of that," Olowokandi said. ``I've never really wanted charity. That's never been my style.

``Sure, the money is great, don't get me wrong. But I think I've come to terms with what is enough for me. Playing now is not about the financial incentives. I just want to play basketball and play while still being healthy. That's my motivation for the moment."

Under the terms of the latest collective bargaining agreement, a one-year minimum contract for a player with eight years of experience is $1.065 million, with the Celtics liable for a minimum of roughly two-thirds of that should he make the team.

Paul Pierce figures there are six teams in the Eastern Conference that have already locked up playoff berths. He didn't name them, but he didn't put the Celtics in that group. ``I think there are two slots open for us, the seventh and eighth, but barring injuries and if we come together, we can put ourselves in a position to be even better," he said. Pierce said he would have loved to see the Allen Iverson trade go down. ``This town is in need of some excitement," he said . . . A player who was mentioned in the Iverson trade talks, Wally Szczerbiak, said he learned a long time ago to not pay any attention to trade rumors. ``It's just part of the summer," he said. ``I'm out on the golf course most of the time trying not to get too caught up in it. If it happens, it happens. I've always said, home for me is always going to be on Long Island. Any place I play is an extension of home. I'm willing to play wherever. I love playing the game, so wherever I'm asked to play, I'll play."

Al Jefferson need no longer be referred to as ``Big Al." He is the Celtics' candidate for ``The Biggest Loser," having shed 30 pounds over the summer. ``I felt like I needed to get slimmer, work on my body, take a little weight off my ankle, kind of kill two birds with one stone," he said. Jefferson is ultra-committed this season after last year's dropoff, caused in part by injuries and by unrealistic expectations. ``Of course I am ready," he said matter-of-factly . . . Of the 18 players on the training camp roster, only six have three years or more of NBA experience, and one of those is Perkins, who has three. Don't bother bringing up the topic with Delonte West. ``Once you've checked into the NBA, it's man-up time," said West, who has two years under his belt. ``That's the conversation we have to have. Who needs to have their hand held? Who needs to be in the `young' category? If that's the case, go get in the kiddie pool. It's adult swim, you know what I mean?"