Danny Ainge had already turned the Celtics down twice. This was 14 years ago, and the Celtics had settled into a most unaccustomed place in the NBA’s stratosphere: No longer powerful enough to contend for championships, not woeful enough to qualify for top-flight draft picks, not attractive enough to lure big-time free agents.
The men who owned the Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca, decided to make one more run at Ainge, and this time they revealed why they were being so aggressive: Red Auerbach, the puppet-master behind so many past Celtic triumphs, had given an enthusiastic endorsement.