Former Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird has responded to the ESPN report that claimed he left the franchise in 2017 due to the ownership's lack of spending.
Per Pacers.com, Bird said the ESPN report is not true.
“A published report indicated that I left my position as President of Basketball Operations in 2017 because ownership was not willing to spend “big money” and that it frustrated me enough to step aside. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Larry Bird said.
“I want everyone to know I left there because it was time for me to move on from the Pacers. I had worked with Kevin Pritchard and at that time I felt Kevin was ready to take over and he has proven that. I can't thank Herb and Mel Simon, along with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, for the opportunities to, at first, coach, and then later move into the front office.”
After coaching the Pacers from 1997 to 2000, Bird joined the front office in 2003. He won the 2011-12 Executive of the Year Award. The team went 42-24 that season but lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2012 playoffs.
The last move Bird made with Indiana was on March 30, 2017, during which he signed Lance Stephenson to a multi-year contract. The Boston Celtics legend and Hall of Famer stepped down from his position with the Pacers in May of 2017. He's been happily retired since with his wife.
A 12-time All-Star and three-time champion, Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists during his historic run with the Celtics.
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