In a business such as the NBA there have to be some executives/players that like to see their rivals squirm, but Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is not one of them. Ainge said he empathizes with Miami Heat president Pat Riley as he continues his pitch for LeBron James.
Ainge spoke to boston.com and said he doesn't take pleasure in watching a colleague go through a tough time and the James saga is a very hard situation.
"No, I don’t take any pleasure in anyone’s pain. I know this is a tough business and free agency and is all part of what we all go through. I certainly don’t take any joy in seeing great players leave organizations that have been good to them," Ainge said
Ainge and Riley have had their share of conflict as the Celtics and Heat were rivals when the Boston “Big 3” was still in it's prime. Riley has to have a mutual respect for Ainge seeing how he used Ainge’s blueprint by creating his own “Big 3” in Miami.
As for LeBron, the Celtics have not been involved in any talks for the leagues’ best player and have opted to pursue Minnesota Timberwolves big man, Kevin Love. Ainge said he has no idea what “The King” is going to decide, but acknowledged that he will change the landscape of the NBA no matter what he decides.
"I don’t know, it depends,” Ainge said. "You mean shifting from one city to another in the Eastern Conference? Wherever LeBron goes, the team is a contender. That’s how good a player he is.”
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