Larry Bird says he's interested in buying the Boston Celtics

BOSTON (AP) -- Larry Bird, one of the greatest Boston Celtics players, might be interested in owning the team. Asked if he'd ever buy the Celtics, Bird said he thinks he could make it happen. "I

Sunday, February 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) -- Larry Bird, one of the greatest Boston Celtics players, might be interested in owning the team. Asked if he'd ever buy the Celtics, Bird said he thinks he could make it happen. "I could get people together to buy the team in a day," Bird said. "I could get it done tomorrow. Let's get the ball rolling."

Celtics owner Paul Gaston has said publicly that the team is not for sale. Bird, whose three-year coaching commitment with the Indiana Pacers ends this season, has been offered an executive position in the Pacers' front office. But Bird said the move wasn't right for him. He plans to return to his home in Florida after this season.

Bird, who worked as a Celtics consultant for five years after retiring as a player, said he wouldn't return to work for the team under the team's current ownership. But he told The Boston Globe that if he were to own the Celtics, he would be an active owner.

Gaston told The Globe last week that his objective was to make the Celtics competitive, while still running the team like a business. Bird responded, "I always thought that the owner of the Celtics wanted to win a championship, not just be competitive. Tell him I'm ready to buy."