Larry Bird:The NBA legend has officially announced…
legend Larry Bird officially stepped down as president of the IndianaPacers on Monday, but he will remain with the team as an advisor. Kevin Pritchard will take over basketball operations for the franchise.
“I felt it was time to step away in a full-time capacity,” said Bird. “This has nothing to do with my health or our team. I’m 60 years old and I want to do other things away from basketball. I will do some scouting for the Pacers, NBA, college, international, do some appearances and stay in a capacity to advise senior basketball management. I love the Pacers, I grew up with the Pacers and admired them from a very young age. I want to thank the fans for their support throughout my career. I also want to thank (owner) Herb Simon for the many years of loyalty and for allowing me to stay with the team in a different role.”
The Vertical initially reported the organizational changes on April 28. The important concern is how Bird’s choice will affect the future of star forward Paul George, who has one guaranteed year remaining on his current contract. The 60-year-old executive, who made 12 All-Star appearances and won three NBA titles during his long playing career, made it clear that he had no intention of trading George despite heavy rumors leading up to the trade deadline, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.
“I wasn’t motivated to move Paul George at the deadline,” Bird explained. “I’m not sure if that was brought up or not. I don’t believe it was. It’s all bogus news regardless. You are aware of this. Someone is going to start it, and it will just cascade from there.”
However, the Pacers will be playing a risky game if they go through the offseason and next season’s deadline without an extension or trade in place. Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News stated this week that George, who grew up in California, eventually wants to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and “never made his long-term intentions a secret” during Pacers locker room chats. Alex Golden of Let’s Talk NBA responded to the news:
