Wyc Grousbeck On Sports Final: Rondo 'Super Smart And Super Stubborn'
BOSTON (CBS) --It has been 12 years since Wyc Grousbeck and his group bought the Boston Celtics, and in that time the team has gone from the bottom to the top.
Now, in the middle of another rebuild, the Celtics owner is optimistic despite a less-than-exciting offseason.
"September is one of my favorite months," Grousbeck told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Sunday night's edition of Sports Final. "Everyone is back and everyone is in a great mood. The excitement gets going."
Coming off a 25-win season, the Celtics are once again projected to finish in the bottom of the league. Grousbeck famously said he expected some "fireworks" over the summer, but instead had to sit back as LeBron James left Miami for Cleveland, and eventually brought Kevin Love -- a potential target for the Celtics -- with him.
So instead of pairing Love or another big name next to Rajon Rondo, the Celtics added some young talent in the draft in Marcus Smart and James Young, and added other younger pieces in center Tyler Zeller and guard Evan Turner.
No, those aren't the "fireworks" Grousbeck or the rest of the Celtics brass were hoping for. But Grousbeck has plenty of faith in second-year head coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball ops Danny Ainge.
"We had so many tradeable assets going into the summer I was really hopeful we could have made more happen. Nobody feels that more than Danny or Brad; this is what these guys do day-to-day where I just look in from time to time," explained Grousbeck. "We're all a bit sort of wishing we could have pulled something off, but we didn't. I think the team is going to be better this year and we'll continue to take steps. We still have our assets and a lot of picks in the future."
Perhaps the biggest asset is Rondo, who is set to become a free agent after this season. Trade rumors have been swirling around the talented guard, but Ainge has maintained throughout that he wants Rondo to be part of the Celtics' future.
Grousbeck also shares that sentiment.
"I think we're going to have a big year from Rajon. I'm a big fan, as he knows and everybody knows, and the contract thing will play out. We never talk about that stuff before it's time. We're glad he's here; he has a ring as a starting point guard on a championship team, so enough said," said Grousbeck, saying he would "absolutely" want to lock up the point guard long-term.
"It's intangible. You just watch him; he played through a broken elbow, a ripped knee. He's a gamer and a competitor with world-class talent," he said, also praising Rondo's off-the-court acumen. "I think he's more than a good kid. He loves doing the charity stuff with kids and loves his family. He loves being here in Boston. He's a real quality guy."
Wyc On Rondo:
Grousbeck admitted though that Rondo does have his flaws, especially when it comes to his relationship with some of his past coaches.
"He's super smart and super stubborn. I don't know how coachable he really is. I know if you ask Doc [Rivers] if he's the most coachable guy or in the top 50 percent, he would say he's in the bottom 50 percent. It's hard with him," said Grousbeck. "But he has been a great Celtic and that time is not over yet."
While September may be his favorite month because of training camp getting started, there's also a special event every other year that is close to Grousbeck. The sixth biennial Hoedown to support the Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program will take place on September 29 at Duck Puddle Farm in Wayland. Grousbeck's band -- a classic rock cover band named French Lick in honor of Larry Bird -- will play at the event, and he's very excited for a great night to help kids in need.
"[Ticket sales] go right to Lovelane, which is a special needs charity centered around [therapeutic] horseback riding. It changed my son's life and it has changed a lot of kid's lives with cancer, cerebral palsy, blindness and autism," said Grousbeck. "There is a real connection [between the kids and the horses]. My son said his first sentence on a Love Lane horse. It just brought it out of him. He told the horse to go faster, and that was a breakthrough for him.
"Horseback riding sounds like a sport of privilege, but it's an essential tool for kids. If a kid has cancer and gets to ride on a horse five or six times, with the parents there and the kid smiling, I can't say much more. It's just unbelievable."
Wyc On Event:
For tickets and more information on the event, visit www.lovelane.org.
Watch Full Interview: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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