[Cactus Jack]

I think Pitino to the NBA was inevitable at some point. Even if we imagine that he repeats in '97 and three-peats in '98, there was only so much he could accomplish.

He was already pretty successful with the Knicks before Kentucky, so even if he turns down an amazing offer from Boston in '97, you'd have to think it would only be a matter of time before he made the jump.

Enormous payday aside, the Celtics and Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA. At the time Pitino took the job, they had the 2nd worst record and a >27.5% chance at landing consensus #1 pick Tim Duncan; Vancouver actually had the worst record, but couldn’t get the first pick. On top of that, Boston also had the 6th best odds for another lottery pick (which was an additional>8.8% chance at #1).

I know the C's needed a complete rebuild, but lost in hindsight is the entirety of what he'd have been turning down by telling them no.