Walsh Resigns

[tav1]

Talk amongst yourselves...

[G-Nob]

Next stop: MSG

[JMarkJohns]

If he's smart he takes the Bucks gig over New York. The Bucks actually have talent someone can win with.

[T Park]

adios Zeke...

[PacerFan]

That is too bad for the Pacers. This guy lead the team to the playoffs 17 times in 19 years. He also got a young Jermaine O'neal for Dale Davis, Brad Millar and Ron Artest for Ron Mercer and Jalen Rose. I will miss Donnie a lot, even more so because the Pacers will replace him with Larry Bird, yuck.

[SpursFanFirst]

Too bad he isn't taking Bird with him. :depressed
This team needs a fresh, clean slate...top to bottom.

[Kriz-Maxima]

Bird should be the one who is gone.

[JamStone]

Bird will likely resign soon as well.

Donnie is a solid GM. If I were a Pacers fan, I'd blame Ron Artest first then Larry Bird next for the problems of the last three seasons.

[Indazone]

Bird was Walsh's man. I think Bird will announce his own resignation in a few days.

[SpursFanFirst]

Bird was Walsh's man. I think Bird will announce his own resignation in a few days.

I don't know...Bird was being groomed for that position.
The rumor in Indy is that Bird is getting ready to take over Walsh's duties.

[SpursFanFirst]

http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/15693677/detail.html

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said Monday he will leave the team at the end of the current NBA season -- a move he said he'd planned since last year.

Walsh (pictured), the team's CEO and president since 1988, said he wouldn't comment on his future, including media reports that he already has been talking with the New York Knicks about taking over as their president.

"As far as what I'm going to do, I'm not sure," the 67-year-old Walsh said at a news conference at Conseco Fieldhouse. "As a result, I'm not going to comment on it until I have a better idea."

Larry Bird, whom Walsh hired as president of basketball operations several years ago, will take over many of Walsh's duties.

Walsh, who joined the Pacers as an assistant coach in 1984, became general manager in 1986 and president two years later. He hired Bird as coach in 1997, and after Bird moved into the front office years later, Walsh groomed him as his eventual successor.

Bird has shared many of the day-to-day operations with Walsh in recent years, a division of authority that has often led to confusion in dealing with other teams, Walsh said.

"My real reason (for leaving) is, I think I've been here too long," he said. "It's not healthy for the franchise."

The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals six times and won the Central Division four times under Walsh. They made the NBA finals in 2000, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, and had the league's best record in 2004 before the franchise began unraveling.

Starting with the brawl involving Indiana players and Detroit Pistons fans, the past three seasons have been littered with losing records, personnel changes and off-court issues that have damaged the team's once-shiny reputation.

Former Pacer Stephen Jackson pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness for firing gunshots in the air during a 2006 fight at a strip club; this year, Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley and several companions were targeted in a shooting that wounded the team's equipment manager outside a downtown hotel. And Tinsley and Marquis Daniels recently cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid trial on charges in a separate fight at a nightclub.

Recently, a murder suspect was arrested after he had been at the home of Pacers forward Shawne Williams and a rape was reported at Daniels' home. Neither player was charged and police said Daniels was not a suspect in the rape.

This season, Indiana has the NBA's worst attendance, and despite a current four-game winning streak, the Pacers (29-41) are still a game and a half behind Atlanta for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

"Everyone was getting confused," Pacers co-owner Herb Simon said of the reason for announcing Walsh's decision now, rather than the end of the season. "There were lots of rumors. Once I was convinced Donnie was really leaving, I thought it was best to let everyone else know."

Walsh said he'd been thinking about leaving for the last two or three years, but he delayed his departure because he didn't want the team's 2004 brawl at Detroit still in his mind when he left.

He said he's been seeing more passion and commitment in the team and he'll more comfortable leaving this year.

Walsh said he had "the utmost confidence" in Bird's abilities to take the team to an elite level.

Simon said Walsh's approaching departure gave him mixed feelings: He said he was sad Walsh was leaving but happy for him because it's what Walsh wants to do and it gives Walsh "opportunities to explore other options."

[Indazone]

Interesting..so Bird gets to become President. Hope he makes some good decisions in player personnel. He won't at least make the Isiah Thomas mistakes. I think Bird is a better judge of talent and listens to other people.

[SpursFanFirst]

I can't imagine Bird being the one to save the Pacers, but I'll guess we'll find out.

[T Park]

The Pacers will flounder in the lottery for the next 8 years.

[JMarkJohns]

So nobody else thinks that Walsh to Milwaukee would be a great fitting? The Bucks have some young, talented pieces for development or trade, a foundational star in Redd and own all their picks. I'd think it'd be a great place to GM.

[PacerFan]

Walsh to Milwaukee would be better, but correct me if I am wrong, but Walsh is an NYC guy. It is home, so I think that has a lot to do with the decision.

Count me in on the majority that believes Bird will run this team into the ground. He took over partial responsibility after 2004 when the Pacer won 61 games. He has had his hand in the Artest trade and the Jackson trade as well. He brought in Marquis Daniels and really reached picking Shawne Williams in the draft. So far his track record is awful.

[JMarkJohns]

Yeah, I understand Walsh's ties, but have you looked at the Knicks roster? Or worse yet, their books? They have so many average players making so much money for so long it baffles the mind. I'll be honest here. I like David Lee. The rest of the team can catch the next bus out of town.

[SpursFanFirst]

Yeah, I understand Walsh's ties, but have you looked at the Knicks roster? Or worse yet, their books? They have so many average players making so much money for so long it baffles the mind. I'll be honest here. I like David Lee. The rest of the team can catch the next bus out of town.

Hey! That's how I feel about the Pacers...
I like Granger and Foster. The rest can leave...and take Bird with them.

[PacerFan]

Yeah, Jmark, I understand where you are coming from, but I think the overriding thing here was that he wanted to go home. The Knicks situation is awful, and he has to know that before taking the job.

spursfanfirst

I would add Dunleavy to that statement and it would work for me. Make sure Tinsley, Williams and Harrison are on the first flight too.

[SpursFanFirst]

Yeah, Jmark, I understand where you are coming from, but I think the overriding thing here was that he wanted to go home. The Knicks situation is awful, and he has to know that before taking the job.

spursfanfirst

I would add Dunleavy to that statement and it would work for me. Make sure Tinsley, Williams and Harrison are on the first flight too.

If they can fit a hobbled O'Neal on that flight, all the better. What a waste of money.

[PacerFan]

Absolutely. Hopefully Donnie can find a way to being an injured O'Neal with him to the Big Apple as I see the Knicks as the only team possibly dumb enough to take on JO's salary and excuses.

[Indazone]

Walsh to Milwaukee would be better, but correct me if I am wrong, but Walsh is an NYC guy. It is home, so I think that has a lot to do with the decision.

Count me in on the majority that believes Bird will run this team into the ground. He took over partial responsibility after 2004 when the Pacer won 61 games. He has had his hand in the Artest trade and the Jackson trade as well. He brought in Marquis Daniels and really reached picking Shawne Williams in the draft. So far his track record is awful.

Well if this is the case, welcome to perpetual lottery. The one saving thing that Bird could possibly do is hire a great General Manager and step back and let him operate.

[PacerFan]

Bird doesn't realize that he can't run a team, much like Jordan. His mentality is "I was a great player, I will know talent when I see it". This has been far from the truth. Just in the central division Cleveland will own Indiana due to Lebron, Chicago will own Indiana due to it being a huge market and an attractive place and Detroit will own Indiana because of Joe Dumars. I am prepared to be the next decades version of the Hawks.

[SpursFanFirst]

Bird doesn't realize that he can't run a team

:tu You are right on!

[E20]

I thought he was going to say. They said it like 100 times yesterday in the Dal and SA game.

[Purple & Gold]

Lamar and Bynum for JO :lol :lol :drunk :drunk

[E20]

That would be a horrible move on the Lakers part.

[Purple & Gold]

That would be a horrible move on the Lakers part.

The worst ever

[PacerFan]

Hey, Walsh got Chicago to bit on Brad Miller, Ron Artest for Jalen Rose/Ron Mercer as well as Dale Davis for Jermaine O'Neal, so why not give it a try?

[G-Nob]

bye bye, Isiah.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3309745