Don Casey was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics from 1990-96, an assistant with the New Jersey Nets from 1996-1999, and then became head coach of the Nets for two seasons from 1999-2000. Here, coach Casey talks about some behind-the-scenes moments with the two franchises.

There are some that say the Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets have improved greatly since I departed. And while the evidence on the court indicates times are certainly much better for the aforementioned franchises, I’d like to think it is merely a coincidence, and to put my fears aside, I was recently assured by my wife and cat that they still think I’m a legend. So all is well.

Upon joining Chris Ford’s staff in 1990, Birdman No. 33 thought he could get me a ring, then retired due to injuries just two short years later. After a period of transition in Boston and two first round playoff exits later, I left the C’s to join John Calipari’s staff in New Jersey in 1996, and things didn’t get much better. The Nets had been through three coaches over five years with Bill Fitch, Chuck Daly and Butch Beard before Cal took over, and the team's chances over the next few years never got better. Everyone in New Jersey preached patience, but the rock group “Patience and Prudence” was higher on their priority list than patience and persistence. Once Cal left and I took over as head coach in 1999, we went through a time of frustrating injuries and I, too, was shown the door.

From Larry Legend to Starbury, Don Casey has mentored many a player with the Celtics and Nets. NBAE/Getty Images

So life’s journey in the NBA moves onward and sometimes outward, but here are some thoughts on this magnificent series and a reflection of time in both Beantown and the Garden State.

Road Trips
Life on the road was always an adventure, especially with the Celtics. You had many different contrasts – there was Larry Bird, the practical joker, a side that people on the outside may not have always seen, and Robert Parish, who would be up, dressed nicely, and eating breakfast by 8:30 every morning. Bird, on the other hand loved to razz the coaching staff. He was always frisky and played practical jokes. There was always a friendly “us against them” dialogue going on; with the “us” being the players and the “them” being the coaching staff. One year, when two NBA coaches were let go during the season, Birdman disguising his voice, called me on the phone and proclaimed that the score was Players 2-Coaches 0. He followed it up with a good-hearted, “You could be next!”

Another time with Boston, I came back to my room and it was a total mess. I was missing towels, sheets, a mattress, and it was certainly not the way I left it. I went down to the front desk to complain, and dragged the manager up to my room to show him the damage. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes later, but when we returned, the manager looked at me as if I was nuts, because the room was prefect, and spotless! I never got exact names, but everyone was a suspect including the players and training staff. They got me good.

CASEY ON THE CURRENT CLUBS: The Celtics and Nets bring a breath of fresh air to the Eastern Conference Finals. They are teams with talented players like Jason Kidd, Keith Van Horn, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. They move, cut and run, and in the recent history of the Eastern Conference, this is certainly a novel idea. In year’s past we have seen some flat-out stodgy play. The dig in, grind-it-out style was not fun to watch, and the fact that the head coaches were calling every play to control the tempo took out much of the game’s beauty and fluidity. Now, the young turks at the helm in New Jersey and Boston Byron Scott and Jim O’Brien allow this upbeat, push-pull type game evolve and the players respond to it and the fans respond to it. In fact, the only people that haven’t responded to this style have been Eastern Conference foes who currently find themselves in the lottery or licking their wounds from early playoff exits. Boston and New Jersey keep the floor spread in order to keep the post open and allow their slashers easier access to the basket. The highly talented Western Conference may be the talk of the League right now, but I say forget the West, the purest basketball is currently being played in the Eastern Conference Finals. The style shocked the Eastern Conference opponents throughout the year, and if the defending champs or the Kings aren’t careful, they could get stung in the next round. One sidenote: What is unique and refreshing to me about the NBA’s conference finalists is that the teams have head coaches that utilize experienced assistant coaches. L.A.’s Tex Winter is 78 years young, Boston’s Dick Harter is 71 and Sacramento’s Pete Carill is 70-plus. All are sharp, active and have the confidence of their head coaches. In New Jersey, Eddie Jordan is a disciple of Carill as well, and he is one of Coach Scott’s trusted assistants, so chalk one up for having seasoned veterans on the bench. Experience counts, and if you need another example, look at President Bush’s Cabinet.

Our players in Jersey were mostly a tame group, they would charge their room service to my room, or dry cleaning, or other things like that, and with Jayson Williams you were always laughing, but the road trips were pretty routine. I guess the players tried taking it easy on the old coach.

Off the Court
The off-the-court activities that suited my interests in both places was eating. When visiting in Boston, one must go to Ciao Bella, which is one of the “in” spots. It has a cozy bar, and tables one or three are the best for ambiance, and the veal chop is one of the best in the U.S. It was like my church, where I’d go on a regular basis. In the North End, I used to frequent Pomodoro on Hanover Street, a tiny but cozy place with great calamari, unique atmosphere and no restrooms. Across the street is Victor’s Café, an old Italian place that is great for an after-dinner espresso.

A frequent haunt in New Jersey was the Stadium Café on Route 3. There’s an excellent sports atmosphere, where everyone in there would offer their analysis and have the right tool for fixing any ailing team. It gets loud, but that is part of the atmosphere because you get a good feel for the pulse of the area. Portofino in Hoboken was also a great spot. Living in Jersey City, it was just a short trip and I got to know the people there very well, and they would cook up a meal you would never forget.

The Cities
When I think of Boston, both the city and the team, I think of the tradition, the history and the pride associated with both. It is a very proud city with extremely loyal fans, and with Red Auerbach at the helm, there was really a family atmosphere around the team. Red always promoted from within, and when I came on board in 1990, I was like an in-law in the sense that I came from the outside, but was treated just like one of the family. That was a lost a little bit when Rick Pitino took over, but it’s back now that Red is in charge again, and the results on the court have been dramatic.

Folks from New Jersey are known for their resiliency, and that was evident during my stay there, with some losing teams, they had to be! Looking back, the people in the organization were very much a reflection of the people in the area. They were always trying and came with a sincere effort. The marketing people worked hard, often times with a muddled product because they had been through so many coaches, there was talk of selling or moving the team. Often times players felt as if they had been exiled, but we had Jayson Williams who was proud to play in Jersey and be a Net, and the fans were appreciative of that. The Nets have Jason Kidd now, and he feels the same way. He could have taken the trade to New Jersey in a bad way, but he took the franchise on his shoulders and lifted everyone up with his energy and hard work.

The Players
My run as an assistant on Boston saw the tail end of the “Big Three” – Bird, McHale and Parish, and saw the emergence of Reggie Lewis, Dee Brown, Rick Fox and Brian Shaw. It was a great mixture of players and the interaction between a Bird and a Lewis was incredible to see. The younger players learned from the best, and especially saw what it took to be the best. Perhaps the one biggest part of the game a Reggie Lewis or Dee Brown learned was how to take over a game. Bird could have played three average quarters, but with McHale, Parish, et al stepping up and keeping the game close, Bird would rise to the occasion when the game was on the line. It was an invaluable learning experience and an incredible thing to witness on the sidelines. Now, Boston has two players in Walker and Pierce who can do he same, so the franchise has come full circle.

In New Jersey, we had satisfactory talent with Jayson Williams, Keith Van Horn, Jim McIllvaine, Rony Seikaly, Eric Murdoch and Kerry Kittles, but the injuries to all of those players took us down and out. Jayson was the one player who fought through so many injuries and became the identity of the franchise in the late 90’s. His blue-collar, high-energy work ethic, willingness to dive on the floor was a thrill to coach.

Casey is proud of the job Marbury and the Nets did in the 1998-99 season. NBAE/Getty Images

One Nets memory I'll treasure is at the end of the 1998-99 season, a season that was ravaged by injuries. On the roster were four players with 10-day contracts who were young, hungry and had something to prove: Mark Henderson, David Vaughn, Jamie Feick and Damon Jones. Coupled with Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn, the team played strong down the stretch, winning 11 of the last 21 games. In a lockout-shortened season where we won just 16 games, 11 wins over the past month was remarkable. I was proud with the way the team responded.

Fan Support
Boston fans were incredibly knowledgeable. In the 1995 playoffs we entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the East, and had to face the upstart Magic who had the Shaq and Penny show. We trailed 2-1 in the series, and in the eyes of the experts, the fact we didn’t get swept was in itself a minor miracle. After trailing throughout most of Game 4, our fourth quarter rally fell short and we bowed, 95-92, but the fans knew our players had given everything they could, and responded to us in a beautiful way. That was the way in Boston – the fans were knowledgeable, passionate, loyal and had grown accustomed to winning. They were also about heart and effort, couldn’t be conned, and knew that we gave our all.

Jersey fans are a knowledgeable group themselves. With some of the problems that franchise has had, I’d have to say they were very supportive as well. The entire atmosphere around the team was unstable for years, but the several thousand diehards who would show up on a consistent basis were greatly appreciated by the players and coaches. These fans suffered for many years, and since Rod Thorn brought in some stability there, they are finally having their day in the sun.