By Mark Montieth
[email protected]
September 5, 2003


Larry Bird understands the anger Jermaine O'Neal felt when Isiah Thomas was fired last week.

In 1983, after the Boston Celtics were swept by Milwaukee in the second round of the NBA playoffs, Bill Fitch was fired. Fitch, who had directed the Celtics to the league championship two years earlier, had been Bird's first NBA coach and was one he greatly respected.

Bird's emotions were soothed by the fact the Celtics promoted assistant K.C. Jones, but Jones was fired five years later after he also directed a championship, which also bothered Bird.

Bird learned something about coaching changes and trades in his playing career, however, and he'll try to make that point to O'Neal when the two get together to discuss the Pacer forward's feelings about Thomas' firing.

"Things work out," Bird said Thursday. "They just do."

Bird, now the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations, was hoping to meet with O'Neal this week, but it never came off. O'Neal, who finished play with Team USA in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico on Sunday, flew to Portland and didn't return until late Thursday night. Bird leaves today for Sweden, where he will scout the European Championships.

When they do sit down and talk, they expect a congenial discussion and mutual agreement.

ESPN radio reported Thursday that Bird was "incensed" by O'Neal's trade demand in the wake of Thomas' firing and was willing to accommodate him after this season. O'Neal, however, has not demanded a trade and Bird is not incensed.

O'Neal voiced anger after first hearing of Thomas' fate last week and said he wanted to sit down with Pacers' management this week to discuss his future. He amended that the following day, saying he would play the upcoming season with a good at ude and then re-evaluate his future. Two days later, he had a telephone conversation with new coach Rick Carlisle and was encouraged by the conversation.

Now he says he's looking ahead to training camp and is anxious to end all the talk of his feelings about Thomas' firing.

"I'm upset, but it's a business. I understand that," O'Neal said as he stepped off the airplane in Indianapolis.

"I'm sure Isiah would want me to play hard. I'm not going to disappoint him and I'm not going to disappoint Rick Carlisle. "

Bird has taken an understanding but firm stance on O'Neal's outlook. He said Thursday he'll tell O'Neal how much the Pacers value him, but if O'Neal wants a trade after the upcoming season he'll try to accommodate him if he can receive fair value.

"No way in the world we want to get rid of Jermaine O'Neal," Bird said. "But after the season we'll sit down and he can tell me what he wants to do. We have to try to work this out."

O'Neal agreed that it's a dead issue until the season ends. He said he plans to remain in contact with Thomas, but will try to build a relationship with Carlisle.

"There's no problem between me and my teammates and no problem between me and management, really," O'Neal said. "We have our differences, like any business relationship, but I can't be upset about it.

"I don't know what's going to happen. But everybody has the same goal, and that's to win. Hopefully we can come together and make that happen from Day One of training camp."


Scouting changes made

The Pacers scouting department has three new members and has lost two.

Joe Ash, veteran scout with the Houston Rockets and a longtime friend of Bird's, former Cleveland State coach Kevin Mackey and former Pacers scout and collegiate coach Ryan Carr have been added to the staff.

Steve Yoder and York Larese are no longer with the team.

Mel Daniels, Misho Ostarcevic, George Felton and Jimmy Powell remain on the staff.