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SPORTS A21
                                                                                                                          Saturday 29 April 2017

AP source: Larry Bird steps down as Pacers president 

JON KRAWCZYNSKI                With that potentially fran-    In this May 5, 2016, file photo, Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird speaks
AP Basketball Writer           chise-changing scenario        at a press conference in Indianapolis.
Larry Bird started the week    pending, Bird is stepping
by driving an IndyCar down     down from a major role                                                                                                                             Associated Press
Fifth Avenue in Manhattan      with the Pacers for a third
to stump for the NBA’s All-    time.                          shaped the team into a        a major point of frustra-      with exceptional play down
Star weekend returning to      His quick exit follows a pat-  contender again, building     tion for George, one of        the stretch to help the Pac-
Indiana.                       tern for Bird. When the Hall   a promising core around       the league’s most versatile    ers reach the playoffs. But
He ended it by stepping        of Famer makes up his          George and Danny Grang-       stars. George has not hesi-    their series against LeBron
down as president of bas-      mind, that’s it.               er and helping to mold        tated to make his displea-     James and the Cavaliers,
ketball operations for the     “Larry is very special, tre-   Lance Stephenson from a       sure known regarding the       tight as it was, showed just
Pacers, a stunningly abrupt    mendous integrity,” Pac-       troublemaker into a force.    direction of the franchise.    how far they are from get-
decision that has become       ers owner Herb Simon told      He was named NBA ex-          That sets up for what is sure  ting back to being a real
a hallmark of the NBA          The Indianapolis Star this     ecutive of the year in 2012,  to be a tense summer of        factor in the conference.
great’s post-playing ca-       month. “His word means         then stepped down a few       talks and decisions. And       Now Pritchard will be driv-
reer.                          something.”                    months later.                 the two also did not see       ing that bus. Long one of
Bird made the call Friday      Bird coached the Pacers        Bird hinted at the time that  eye to eye on the court,       the more respected execu-
and general manager Kev-       from 1997-2000, leading        health played a role in       with George resisting Bird’s   tives in the league, he left
in Pritchard will be elevated  them to the NBA Finals in      his decision then, and he     preference of playing him      the Portland Trail Blazers
to take his place, a person    2000 before walking away       stayed away for a year be-    at power forward as part of    after disagreements with
with knowledge of the situ-    from the job after applying    fore returning as the Pac-    a sleeker, faster lineup with  owner Paul Allen in 2010
ation told The Associated      a long-held theory that a      ers’ top executive. With      Myles Turner at center.        and joined the Pacers in
Press. The person spoke        coach’s effectiveness is di-   Frank Vogel as his coach,     The Pacers ultimately          2011.
on condition of anonym-        minished after three or four   the Pacers reached the        bowed to George’s pref-        The transition should be
ity because the team has       years on the job.              conference finals in 2013     erence to stay at small for-   seamless given Pritchard’s
not announced the move,        He returned as team presi-     and 2014 with a new core      ward, and he averaged          familiarity with the organi-
which was first reported by    dent in 2003, helping con-     of George, Stephenson         23.6 points and 6.7 re-        zation and time spent work-
Yahoo! Sports.                 struct a club that was         and Roy Hibbert.              bounds for a team that fin-    ing with Bird. But he will not
Bird leaves the Pacers         among the best in the          Bird did not renew Vogel’s    ished 42-40 this season and    be able to ease into the big
ahead of a pivotal sum-        league, won 61 games and       contract after last season    was never a real threat in     chair.
mer in which the franchise     advanced to the Eastern        and installed Nate McMil-     the East.                      The biggest decision this or-
will have to decide what       Conference finals in 2003-     lan as his coach. The Pac-    Bird turned down several       ganization has had to make
to do with star forward Paul   04. That team fell apart the   ers were swept out of the     trade offers for George at     in years is staring them right
George. He can become a        following season after the     first round this season by    the deadline in February,      in the face, and Bird will not
free agent after next sea-     “Malice at the Palace,”        the Cleveland Cavaliers,      and his star rewarded him      be the one making it.q
son and there is wide spec-    the ugly scene in Detroit in
ulation he would prefer to     which players Ron Artest,
play for the Los Angeles       Stephen Jackson and Jer-
Lakers. The Pacers will have   maine O’Neal fought with
to decide whether to try to    Pistons fans.
persuade him to stay long      The French Lick, Indiana,
term or trade him.             native methodically re-
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