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Bill Simmons: If you think Wyc Grousbeck is OK with Doc Rivers trying to bail after Wyc gave him $35m 2 years ago, then you don't know anything about Wyc. Twitter @BillSimmons

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Wyc Grousbeck, Owners 

The Boston Celtics may have taken a drubbing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but owner and Chief Executive Wycliffe Grousbeck has his own reason to celebrate, having raised nearly $80 million so far for a debut fund focused on sports media investments. Dow Jones

Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck, Owners 

"Our indications are that Doc’s coming back," said Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics' owner. "Typically, and it’s probably similar to Kevin Garnett, as an example, everybody is tired, burnt out, frustrated -- I mean, losing to the Knicks is something I never wanted to experience in my life... Everybody gets time to unwind and decompress. I expect Doc is going to help Danny with the draft workouts, I expect he’s going to be in the war room on June 27th when all the drafts and trades -- if any -- are made. And then over the free-agency period, a week or two after that. So between now and July 15th, there’s a lot of work to do to put the team together for next year. And I expect Doc’s going to be there for that." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Wyc Grousbeck, Kevin Garnett, Owners 

"We don’t feel like we have a championship team [at the moment]; It’s pretty obvious, we lost in the first round," said Grousbeck. "We have to see who is with us, we have to see what offers there are for people, we’ve got to decide what to do. It might be a multi-year plan. We’ve never intentionally lost games and we don’t intend to trash things now. We've got players -- [Rajon] Rondo, [Avery] Bradley, [Jeff] Green, [Jared] Sullinger, Brandon Bass, the younger guys are not going to let us win the lottery anyway. That’s a good roster. We hope that Paul [Pierce] and [Kevin Garnett] are back with them and we hope we can reload along the way. ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Wyc Grousbeck, Kevin Garnett, Owners 

"I want to retire Paul’s number, but I don’t want to do it any time soon because I want him to keep playing for us, to be honest," said Grousbeck. "I want KG back. I want Doc back. I’d love to have Rondo back. I just want to get them more help, that’s my going-in assumption." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Wyc Grousbeck, Owners 

The 12 owners on the NBA's relocation/finance committee will make the recommendation on the future of the Kings: • Peter Holt, Spurs (chairman of the board of governors) • Micky Arison, Heat • Clay Bennett, Thunder • Jeanie Buss, Lakers • James Dolan, Knicks • Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics • Ted Leonsis, Wizards • Greg Miller, Jazz • Robert Sarver, Suns • Herb Simon, Pacers • Larry Tanenbaum, Raptors • Glen Taylor, Timberwolves Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, James Dolan, Wyc Grousbeck, Micky Arison, Robert Sarver, Ted Leonsis, Glen Taylor, Jeanie Buss, Greg Miller, Herb Simon, Peter Holt, Clay Bennett 

“It wasn’t going to feel right to play a basketball game tonight just out of respect, and then out of diverting police resources in any way to playing a game. I’d rather personally have them able to work on the crime scene and help care for anybody who needs help in Boston as opposed to helping patrol our game. It just didn’t feel right at all to be playing tonight. It was an easy decision, which we made together.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck, Boston 

In 2006, the Blazers fined Telfair after he left a loaded gun on the team's plane. One year later, at the end of his season with the Celtics, he was arrested on a gun possession charge in the early morning after he was pulled over for speeding on a suspended license. Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics' managing partner, removed Telfair's nameplate from his locker and all but promised that the team would cut ties with him. Telfair admits that he couldn't begin to understand the mistake he had made. "I was stupid," he says. "I was thinking, I'm not trying to hurt nobody, I'm not going to kill nobody, rob no bank ... you don't understand what you're doing wrong, and as a basketball player, certain things are just not accepted. Certain things society is not going to accept from a basketball player. So if you can't take that, you can't be a pro. I really haven't had any trouble with the law, and then I got in that situation. And it put me in a bad situation. It took a lot for me to dig myself out of that." Why did he have the gun? "For no particular reason or particular situation," he says. "Just having it, being dumb. ... If I was thinking about, I want to make sure I'm getting a contract and be an All-Star, [then] for no reason would I have a weapon, at no point in time." SI.com

Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Wyc Grousbeck, Sebastian Telfair 

Gary Dzen: Wyc Grousbeck on why the Celtics didn't make a move at the deadline: "I know what the offers were. You wouldn't have taken them." Twitter @GlobeGaryDzen

Boston Celtics, Trade, Wyc Grousbeck 

“I just turned down a ridiculous number for this team,” Grousbeck says before we head down to our seats, unable to contain himself. How ridiculous? He’s a dealmaker, a longtime private equity guy, and he knows we’re in the middle of doing FORBES’ annual valuations of NBA teams, so of course he’ll whisper it but won’t say on the record and won’t disclose who made the offer. But if it had worked out, he insists, it would have dwarfed the $360 million he and a group of investors, including fellow private equity pal Steve Pagliuca, paid for the team back in 2002. Pushed, Grousbeck offers this: “There are franchises in the NBA that will be worth a billion dollars,” he says. “If there aren’t already.” Forbes.com

Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck 

For the record, there are two teams in the NBA worth more than $1 billion this year, and the Celtics aren’t one of them–at least according to us–but they are getting closer. This year FORBES values the team at $730 million, number four in the league behind the New York Knicks ($1.1 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($1 billion) and Chicago Bulls ($800 million). That’s a 51% increase in the Celtics‘ value over last year, thanks to a new television deal that will double cash flow. Forbes.com

Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Wyc Grousbeck 

Yet lead investors Grousbeck, 51, a former partner at Highland Capital, and Pagliuca, 58, a veteran of Bain Capital, insist that their team isn’t for sale. At least not yet. Grousbeck, who grew up in nearby Weston, Mass., is clearly a fan, one who discusses draft picks and all-star selections as easily as his latest cable deal with Comcast. He delights in marketing the team, a powerhouse brand that he snapped up during a dormant period, to his fellow New Englanders. Pagliuca, who has largely concentrated on the media business during his 30 years at Bain, where he still works, also likes tying himself to community affairs. Raised in Framingham, Mass., some 20 miles west of Boston, he’s made a play for the struggling Boston Globe and a run for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. Also a committed hoops junkie, Pagliuca once played as a walk-on at Duke University. Forbes.com

Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck 

The boldest move was Garnett, who came in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves (with Ainge practically swindling his former teammate Kevin McHale, Minnesota’s GM) with two years remaining on a six-year, $126 million deal. After two subsequent extensions Boston will wind up paying the big man $140 million for eight seasons, until he’s 39. It’s risky. The club’s full executive committee reviewed the deal, seeing it as a make-or-break moment. “If it works, it’s a championship. If it doesn’t, it’s a financial burden,” Grousbeck says. “Every single guy said, ‘I’m in, and if anyone wants to be out I’ll do their piece’.'” Given Garnett’s central role in returning the Celtics to NBA glory and four years of consistent sellouts, it is working so far. “Winning after taking a risk makes it all the more fun,” he says. Forbes.com

Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Kevin McHale, Wyc Grousbeck 

Following are more highlights from the conversation. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page. Wyc Grousbeck: On Allen’s legacy: “Let’s put it this way, Red Auerbach told me personally and told players in front of me, ‘It’s the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.’ I think Ray always put the Celtics first and it was never about himself and I think if we’re going to be successful we have to keep doing it that way. We’re going to band together, we’re not going to cut down Ray Allen in any way. We’re going to say the name on the front of your jersey just changed, but you’re always a Celtic to us.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Wyc Grousbeck 

More on Allen’s departure: “We’re thrilled with what he gave us. We respect his decision. I think it’s fantastic because it just riles me up that he went down to our arch-rival for half price — what’s that about? I want to make it not an easier path to a ring, I’m going to make it a harder path to ring if I have anything to say about it.” On his relationship with Allen now: “It’s a very friendly relationship and we respect Ray. Not going to say we wish him the best, but we wish him a difficult season in Miami.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Wyc Grousbeck 

Wyc Grousbeck: “I think having Rondo here [helps attract free agents], to be perfectly honest. If I were a basketball player … if I were thinking of coming here I would be thinking Rondo is going to deliver me the ball perfectly, he is going to steal and rebound and offensive rebound and I am going to have the ball right there and I could see my numbers going up if I was a numbers guy. So I think it is a great place to place to play basketball and I am optimistic that we are going to be able to recruit people here. I am very optimistic.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Free Agency, Rajon Rondo, Wyc Grousbeck 

And when this run is done, the Celtics will dive head first into an offseason when they could have some major salary cap space to spend. “I’m excited about the summer,” Grousbeck said. “I’m excited about next summer, too. I’m excited about the Celtics really. I think we’ve got a lot of possibilities in our future. Danny said to me that he’s been in front offices for something like 13 years — coach, general manager — and he’s never had cap space once. And I think that’s an angle that’s interesting. I said, ‘Maybe you should try it.’ ” Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Free Agency, Wyc Grousbeck 

One of the keys will be, if a major player or two isn’t available to them, resisting the urge to spend money just because it’s there. They may have to be willing to tread water if at first the right talent won’t accept their offer. It may be simply a matter of semantics, but Grousbeck didn’t endorse those words. “I don’t know if I would agree that the phrase ‘tread water’ makes sense,” he said. “When we went on a four-year building process last time, it wasn’t treading water. I would define it as trying to patiently build. So if you’re playing (Rajon) Rondo and E’Twaun (Moore) and JuJuan (Johnson) and Avery (Bradley) and two first-rounders and maybe some of these guys back, that’s not necessarily treading water. “I think treading water is getting a bunch of mid-career vets who aren’t going to get any better.” Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Free Agency, Wyc Grousbeck 

Grousbeck then left a little tease on the table. “The other thing I would say, without mentioning names, is that there are some marquee players who could be available,” he said. “And I’m not ruling anything out.” Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Free Agency, Wyc Grousbeck 

Celtics owner and CEO Wycliffe Grousbeck was on “Sports Biz: Game On” with Darren Rovell on the NBC Sports Network Friday and talked about the impact of the lockout, and more importantly to Celtics fans the older team they have this year and their plans. He sounds positive that things will work out this year, although what do you expect him to say? He says they want to make one more run with the “big four,” although don’t be shocked if he has to sing a different tune if things continue to look bleak in a few more weeks. NBCSports.com

Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck