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NBA Rumors: Larry Bird Steps Down As Pacers President

By Michael Saenz

May 16, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird speaks to the press during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird speaks to the press during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Rumors: Larry Bird has stepped down as Indiana Pacers team president

Just three years ago, the Indiana Pacers were fresh off back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances and appeared primed to be “the next team” as soon as LeBron James decided to step aside.

However, in three short years, it’s all fallen apart for the Pacers.

Since those back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances, the Pacers saw Lance Stephenson, who was at the height of his powers, walk in free agency, Paul George suffer a gruesome leg injury, Roy Hibbert regress majorly (and eventually traded) and the Pacers fired Frank Vogel, the architect of it all.

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Now, Larry Bird has elected to step down as the team’s president. Kevin Pritchard, the team’s general manager, will take over Bird’s duties.

"[via The Vertical]Larry Bird is stepping down as Pacers president, league sources tell @TheVertical. Kevin Pritchard will take over basketball operations.Bird is expected to continue on as a consultant, working with Pritchard and the Pacers front office, league sources tell @TheVertical.Sources: For now, Bird’s plan is consulting, but Orlando’s search firm has been asking around about him as possible candidate for president."

Word still isn’t out to why exactly Bird decided to step away at this time – and I assume we should find out soon – but this is at least somewhat surprising. And the timing is quite confusing. In perhaps the team’s most important offseason in recent memory, the Pacers are going to need to make some big decisions over the next couple of months – decisions that will dictate the next 5-10 years for Indiana.

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And there’s no question that the biggest question lies up with Paul George’s future. Will he commit long-term to the Pacers? And, if he doesn’t, will the Pacers prematurely trade him in order to block him from leaving in free agency?

Now, the Pacers will have to make all those decisions without Larry Bird.

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