Expensive seat

According to a story on Sports Illustrated's website, the Celtics were fined $30,000 by the NBA over what the league said was inappropriate contact between Danny Ainge and the mother of Texas phenom Kevin Durant. The two sat next to each other during the Big 12 tournament -- a coincidence, according to Ainge -- but the league said even under those circumstances, conversation and contact should be kept to the minimum.

The magazine also said the Warriors and Bobcats were each docked $15,000 for making comments about Greg Oden and Durant, both of whom are freshmen (or, as they say now, rising sophomores) and thus technically ineligible for the NBA draft until they declare.

Yesterday was Ainge's 48th birthday. He did not return a call seeking comment.

Excerpted from May's Celtics notebook in Sunday's Globe.