Popular McCarty knows role
By Mike Tulumello, Tribune
"I LOVE WALTUH!"
The slogan, popularized on Boston radio by Celtics broadcaster Tommy Heinsohn, became almost a trademark for role player Walter McCarty.
In his 7 1 /2 seasons with the Celtics, McCarty, 31, became uncommonly popular for a complementary player.
The Celtics even had a bobblehead night for him a couple of weeks ago when the Suns visited.
McCarty is known as a solid citizen who was involved in the community in his Celtics years.
"But that’s not the reason" he was popular, McCarty said.
Instead, fans simply liked the way he played.
"I think they appreciated my work ethic and the way I played . . . diving for loose balls, giving 110 percent," he said Thursday after his first practice with the Suns.
The 6-foot-10 McCarty describes himself as "a versatile player who can put the ball on the floor and shoot the deep ball."
He says he loves the Suns’ fast pace and calls himself a "perfect fit" for the transition to his new team.
"He could always be counted on to create a little excitement and add a little spark," Heinsohn told the Boston Herald.
"A team is made up of all different kinds of players and then a certain chemistry develops," Heinsohn said. "He was a chemistry player."
He certainly shouldn’t disrupt the Suns, who are known as a tight group.
"If I have to be a cheerleader or team supporter, then that’s what I’ll have to do. I’m not going to complain about minutes."
That’s good for the Suns, because — as a projected backup to workhorse Shawn Marion — McCarty doesn’t figure to command big minutes.
"We’ll try to work him in," coach Mike D’Antoni said. "We expect him to help us.
"We can definitely space the floor. He can play like Shawn Marion. He gives us another player who allows us to do what we want do to."
As popular as he was in New England, McCarty realized the Celtics were trying to develop younger players. So he wanted the muchtalked-about trade with the Suns to happen.
So much so that he went along with the Suns’ wishes by dropping the option he had in his contract to play next season for about $1.5 million.
McCarty didn’t respond directly to questions about this, but said, "I wanted to be here. . . . My job is to play basketball and not worry about those other things."
As for the future, he said, "I’ll put that in God’s hands."
Besides, he pointed out, "This is the place I wanted to come right out of school (at Kentucky)."
Though he worked out a couple of times for the Suns before the 1996 draft, the Suns bypassed him in Round 1.
Instead, they made a controversial pick by taking a relatively low-profile guard named Steve Nash, now one of McCarty’s teammates.
That the Suns made the effort to grab McCarty, even if he plays limited minutes, shows that club officials are trying to go all the way, Nash said.
"He’s another guy who can give us energy off the bench," Nash said. "Only one team can win a championship. All of us aspire to that."
BONUS SHOT: McCarty apparently packed in a hurry to get to Arizona. "I have a suitcase with very limited clothing," he said. "If I need something, I’ll have to go to the mall."
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