If anything, the Celtics may even sound a little sympathetic. The arrival of LeBron James and Chris Bosh in Miami to join Dwyane Wade has drawn the ire of America, but back in Boston, they're just not feeling the hate.
"I think they've gotten a lot of criticism that they didn't deserve," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday. "I really do. I don't understand it. LeBron did everything legal, right? He waited it out until the end, and then he could be a free agent. It didn't bother me. I guess I'm an old-school guy, but it really didn't bother me. It bothered a lot of people, though. For whatever reason, it did."
LeBron, Bosh and Wade signed matching six-year contracts this July to build a dynasty in Miami, with the two newcomers making $110.1 million each in lucrative sign-and-trade deals and Wade agreeing to a small discount at $107.5 million. They're set to make more money between now and 2016 than most see in a lifetime. But with all that cash and all that fame comes pressure to win championships — and that means the target in the Eastern Conference has shifted, from the veteran Celtics to the hyped Heat. The C's aren't too concerned.
"We don't really think about that stuff, to tell you the truth," said captain Paul Pierce. "We don't really care about that stuff. We're going to continue to go at our slow pace and creep up on everybody, and everything will be said and done at the end of the day. We'll stay under the radar. We don't care about that."
A lot has changed in three years. At this time in 2007, it was the Celtics garnering all that attention, with their draft-day deal for Ray Allen followed by the massive trade a month later to bring in Kevin Garnett from Minnesota.
"I thought we had a semi-target when we made the trade," Rivers said. "Everyone kind of anointed us. We were on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which I didn't like any. But you know, you couldn't hold it back."
The Celtics know all too well what it's like to be in Miami's position. They were there not long ago. But now the C's are older, wiser and keenly aware of how the NBA hype machine works.
"You have no control over it," Pierce said of the public eye. "I mean, you put together a team like that, you're going to have all types of media requests, you'll have all types of commercial stuff, just like you see in Miami. You have no choice. It comes with it when you put together a team like that. The key for that is just being able to focus, not getting drawn into the hype, not reading your own press. You've got to go out there and still do the work."
So for the moment, the Celtics are downplaying the hype, focusing merely on playing basketball. In less than a month, we'll find out if the Heat can do the same.
