Lee directs cheers at LA
LOS ANGELES - Famed film director Spike Lee and Celtics guard Ray Allen are close friends. But that doesn't mean Lee, a renowned Knicks fan, will ever root for Boston.
Allen said he was shocked to see Lee cheer for the Lakers during Boston's Game 3 loss Tuesday night while wearing a Knicks T-shirt and cap at his baseline seat.
"I looked up and I saw Spike cheering for the Lakers," Allen said. "That set me back a little bit. If he is a Knick fan, I'm figuring he was for the Eastern Conference. But he's cheering for the Lakers. I'm going to have to talk to him about that."
Allen showed Denzel Washington and Lee that "He Got Game" still when he scored 25 points in Game 3. Washington starred in the 1998 movie, "He Got Game," which was directed by Lee and co-starred Allen. Allen played the role of high school basketball star Jesus Shuttlesworth, whose father (Washington) tries to convince him to go to a specific college so he could get a shorter jail sentence.
Washington attends a lot of Lakers games and describes Allen as his "son." Allen joked that he was going to ask Washington to allow his family to stay at the Oscar-winning actor's Los Angeles estate.
"Whenever [Washington and I] cross paths, we talk," Allen said. "But Spike and I talk regularly. I'll call Spike up and just have a conversation with him. Denzel is way too busy and his schedule can be across the universe."
"Ray's my man. I love him," said Lee, who was wearing a Yankees T-shirt and cap last night. "But as a diehard New Yorker and Knicks fan, Boston-New York [unity] can't happen and vice versa. Before [Game 3] I gave him a hug. I said, 'Good luck.' I love Ray, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. But that green, I can't [mess] with that green."
Danny's boy
There will be another Ainge working for the Celtics soon. General manager Danny Ainge confirmed yesterday that his son, Austin, will likely be hired as a college scout.
Austin Ainge was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention at Brigham Young. He was also an assistant coach at Southern Utah the past two seasons.
"Austin has been one of my basketball confidants for the past 10 years," Danny Ainge said. "He knows the game. He'll be doing some regional scouting, things out West."
A Maine attraction?
The NBA Development League recently announced the Celtics will keep the Utah Flash as their affiliate next season. Boston, however, has been interested in getting a much closer affiliate, perhaps in Portland, Maine.
Portland is hoping to field an NBDL expansion team by the 2009-10 season. Ex-Celtics assistant coach Jon Jennings, who would be a co-owner in Portland, is hoping to hear good news soon. Helping Portland's cause is the fact the franchise's lead investor is Bill Ryan, chairman of TD Banknorth Garden, and ex-Celtics coach and star K.C. Jones is a consultant.
"We're still negotiating with the NBA," Jennings said. "Things look very good purchasing the team, but it's still not a done deal. We've gone pretty far in satisfying everything the NBA requires. Hopefully, in the near future, we'll get some good news from the NBA.
"They are really impressed with Portland and we have a great ownership group and the arena and so forth.
"We'll see what happens with Portland," Ainge said. "We're jumping the gun. We'll see how it goes."
Said Jennings, "We feel it's the perfect scenario . . . It would help the Celtics grow their brand in Northern New England."
In the meantime, Ainge expressed satisfaction with being affiliated with the Flash. "We'll go back to Utah [for 2008-09]," he said. "We like our relationship."
"It's an honor to be associated with a team playing in the NBA Finals," said Flash GM David Fredman. "The fact that they sent two players to develop, I thought the relationship went well and both sides were happy. It makes sense that they want something geographically closer. I understand that."
Celtics rookie Gabe Pruitt and rookie forward Brandon Wallace, who was cut Dec. 13, played for the Flash this season. "You don't know how much you helped a player like that until later on," Fredman said. "But I still think Gabe has a chance to be a good NBA player."
Country club
USA Basketball will announce its 12-member team for the Beijing Olympics prior to its minicamp in Las Vegas, which begins June 27. No Celtics are in the player pool, and it is assumed the US will go with primarily the same roster that won gold at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
Springfield ties
While the Bulls' hiring of Vinny Del Negro as coach was surprising, he will be getting plenty of support from Springfield, Mass. Del Negro was born in Springfield, and played at Cathedral High School his freshman year. He also established the Vinny Del Negro Endowment Fund in Springfield to assist physically and sexually abused youths.
