How the media originally covered Rick Pitino’s famous Celtics rant

Rick Pitino walks off the court after the Celtics' loss to the Raptors on March 1, 2000. –Via Globe ArchivesOn March 1, 2000, Celtics coach Rick Pitino delivered one of the most famous rants in Boston sports history. It came after a crushing loss to the Raptors in which Vince Carter (who’s still playing in 2018) nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Toronto a 96-94 win. The loss was the Celtics’ third in a row, and 11th in 14 games.

A defiant Pitino challenged the “negativity” he perceived from the fans and media. And the 47-year-old coach, then in his third losing season in Boston, unleashed a piece of famous commentary about the state of the Celtics:

From the #WBZ archives: Rick…