According to The Vertical, Larry Bird is stepping down as president of basketball operations of the Indiana Pacers. Bird had been with the Pacers since 2013.
Bird's Legacy
Most know Larry Bird from his playing days and his successful days in Boston. Bird is the only person in NBA history to win MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. His relationship with the Indiana Pacers started in 1997 when he won Coach of the Year. He's been in an out of the organization all throughout the 2000's. He won Executive of the Year in 2012.
Since 2011, Bird helped push the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals and a great rivalry for a short time with LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Bird's gem as an operations leader was drafting Paul George.
Pacers slow decline
Only Paul George and Lance Stephenson are crucial members left from the Pacers' Eastern Conference Finals team. The Pacers have been on a slow decline since that success, and part of that falls on Bird. Although he did very well as president of operations, all good things come to an end eventually. The Pacers just recently were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
It's unknown why exactly Larry Bird has resigned. Was this his intention or did it come from above? Most likely Larry Bird could leave or stay when he wanted to with how much he has contributed to the team and the organization as a whole.
According to The Vertical, Bird's future plan is to be a consultant for the Indiana Pacers.
The NBA has seen a lot of old historic players getting back into the basketball realm. We've seen Larry Bird find success with it, Michael Jordan in on it, and now we have Magic Johnson getting into the swing of things. It's an interesting dynamic and good for basketball that the legends of the past are trying to impact the legends of the future.
Bird has stepped down at the perfect time as president. The team has been in a swirl of rumors surrounding Paul George and that he doesn't want to stay in Indiana. Bird stepping down before the ship is grabbing onto a lifeboat in case he wants to run another team. Jumping ship before this fiasco gets any worse could be one of his smartest moves as a businessman.
Whoever is next in line for Indiana will get to decide the future of the organization. Will they try to salvage what they have with Paul George? Or will they blow it up and start fresh, building around a good young core filled with Myles Turner.
