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June 18, 2008
Cool Calm P.J. Brown- Undecided about coming back
Louisiana Tech University produces talented NBA big men from time to time. Karl Malone of yore and Paul Millsap of recent years are NBA bigs from the school. Current Celtic P.J. Brown, the Big Cat, is another La. Tech graduate and NBA long timer.
P.J. hopped on the Green Machine bus a little over halfway through the season and helped drive it to an NBA Championship, his first after 15 years in the league....including a half of year out of it, sitting back home, chilling in Slidell, Louisiana eating shrimp, mud puppies, muffalattas, po-boys, and jumbalaya.
Long Road for P.J. to a Title
6' 11" 225 lbs, forward/center P.J. Brown began his NBA career in 1993 as a 2nd round pick of the New Jersey Nets. He played for the Nets for the first three years of his career. He moved on to Miami for 4 years, then the Hornets for 7 years, before retiring from the Bulls after a less than happy season last year.
For a player who has averaged 10.5 points over his career to have earned $70 million dollars over his career, he must be doing something very right.
His bread and butter is defense, rebounding, including hitting the offensive boards (he is 3rd for career in the NBA among active players and 21st all time), and still has a reliable mid range jumper as Celtic fans found out. He hit it with pressure in the play-offs. P.J. Brown was tailor made to play on a team like the 2008 Celtics. There was a job opening for back-up center once Scot Pollard was put on the shelf. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were the human resource department persuading him to apply within.
The 15 year veteran, 3 time All Defensive 2nd Teamer signed with the Celtics for a bargain basement $474, 285 in order to have a chance to play for a championship ring.
Talked out of retirement by Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, for one more chance to play for the elusive NBA ring, P.J. ended up making the right decision and entered into NBA history by earning its highest honor - World Champion. He was more and more instrumental in Celtic victories as the play-offs wore on and Kendrick Perkins began nursing a few injuries. His defense, occasional offense, and calm on-court demeanor proved invaluable, especially in the early rounds for the younger Celtic players.
I've been through it all. I thought my composure would be big for this team. I just go out there and be P.J. you know what I mean? I come out with my game and just try and do the best that I can.
P.J. has now played in 107 play-off games in his career. Fully 26 of them, almost a quarter of his entire career's totals, were from this post season with the Celtics. Coming in with 81 games experience in the post season would count for a lot, as we would find out.
Thoughts on this final game?
It started out rough at first. But then it seemed like our defensive intensity got higher and higher. We made everything tough on them. Every shot they took, we made it hard. Everything Kobe took, wasn't easy.
At one point, Kobe came down and made an aggressive spin move on you. You made a great recovery with that block. Tell us about that.
He was determined to put that shot in my face. I guess Kobe was saying you're old and you can't jump no more. But I still have length. I've got long arms, so I just tried to stay in front of him, use my defensive principles and stay between him and the basket. When he went up, it was good timing, and it was a good play for us.
P.J. is 3rd among active players in fouls and that also was part of his job this post season as well. Many were the time, when the Celtics needed to lay a hard one on someone. It was Brown doing the deed.
After being congratulated on winning his first Championship PJ was asked if, a year ago, he ever expected to be standing here now as part of a world champion team...
Not in a million years. I would say my career was about as close to being over as it could possibly be. And (if) it wasn't for the chance meeting with Paul and Ray in New Orleans, I wouldn't be standing in front of you.
When I made the decision to come, there were no guarantees. Nobody said the Boston Celtics would end up being world champions. There were a whole bunch of other great teams out there. Going along this path, it's been a roller coaster this whole post season. It's been awesome man. I just feel grateful, man, and I'm just blessed to be here tonight.
Do you plan on coming back here to this team?
I have no idea. If it comes to that, and I decide to came back, this is option A. I would look no other place but here first. I prefer to leave it at that for right now.
So, PJ is just going to enjoy the moment and the milestone he has finally reached as a 38 year old player.
Obviously, if P.J. decides to send feelers out to the Celtics, he would want to earn a bit more than the bargain basement money he signed for this year. How and where Wyc and Danny decide to spend their money for next season's team will involve some tough decisions and maybe a little more out of pocket money. The returns generated from this year's luxury tax penalty team couldn't have been better. Or maybe they will be.
The TV ratings were up about 50% percent over last year and the final game earned a 10.7 share, the highest since 2000. A portion of any and all monies earned are distributed back to teams in the revenue sharing agreement.
The Celtics say they will sell about about 1,000 more season tickets next year than they made available this year. Kevin Garnett's jersey is the NBA's number one selling item. Celtics gear sales generally, will only increase. It's a good time economically for the league and the Celtics in particular.
Perhaps there are a few sheckles more for a player like P.J. Brown
Posted by Tom on June 18, 2008 9:38 PM
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Comments
Awesome interview. I guess it takes a veteran to get an interview with a veteran (duck and hide).
I hope PJ does come back. He didn't really show his age in these playoffs as he hustled pretty good on both ends of the court. I don't know if he can go a whole season but right now they aren't too many options out there with his experience.
Posted by: yakyakyak at June 19, 2008 6:14 PM
He could be good for about 15 minutes a game for 82 plus play-offs. Look at Motumbo.
That would be just enough to impact the game and give Perkins his obligatory rest after getting his 2 fouls in the first quarter.
I think it would work fine.
PJ doesn't look it, but is a tough interior defender.
Thanks for the compliment. (I think)
T
Posted by: Tom Halzack at June 19, 2008 7:13 PM
