Paul Pierce rightfully had his No. 34 placed in the Garden rafters Sunday, in large part because of his role in bringing a championship to the Celtics. But there was a guy at the gymnasium on Causeway Street last night who had a hand in three Celtics titles, and what I want to know is when is someone going to raise a banner for Dick Vitale?

Yes, that Dick Vitale. Richard John Vitale from Passaic, N.J. Dickie V. He was the coach of the Pistons in September 1979 when the Celtics, negotiating compensation for signing free agent M.L. Carr, worked it out by trading Bob McAdoo to Detroit for two first-round draft picks. The following June, seven months after Vitale was fired with a 4-8 record in his second season, the Celts sent those two picks, Nos. 1 and 13, to Golden State for Robert Parish and the third pick, which they turned into Kevin McHale.