Apparently, Larry Bird’s tenure as a long-time resonating influence of the Indiana Pacers in the sidelines has already ended.
Per Scott Agnes of Fieldhouse Fields, the basketball legend isn’t filling an active role now inside the club. As such, a word from Indiana President Kevin Pritchard has confirmed it — that Bird is now outside of the Pacers brass.
But stated by Pritchard, this case doesn’t hinder both the club and Bird in keeping in touch and striking further collaboration.
I have been told for months that Larry Bird no longer has an active role within the franchise, and in my recent conversation with Kevin Pritchard, the president of basketball operations, he confirmed that was the case. “Yeah, he’s not active,” Pritchard told Fieldhouse Files. “But look, Larry is a good friend of mine and he’s a good friend of Rick’s (Carlisle). At any time we need help, we know where to look. He’s always available.”
Following his 13-year illustrious career as the foundation of the 80s Boston Celtics, Bird found relative success as a tactician and executive for the Pacers.
As the team’s three-year head coach, he won the 1997-1998 Coach of the Year honors and led them to their first and only trip to the NBA Finals in 2000.
For being their President and Basketball Operations, he constructed an Indy team that went to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in both 2013 and 2014 and became a staunch rival of LeBron James-Dwyane Wade Miami Heat dynasty.
He stepped down in his position in 2017, but filled Indiana’s advisory capacity role.
