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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
"That's when I resigned from the Celtics. I have never looked back' - Larry Bird on why he cut off ties to the Boston Celtics
"That's when I resigned from the Celtics. I have never looked back' - Larry Bird on why he cut off ties to the Boston Celtics originally appeared on Basketball Network. Larry Bird wishes that his years in the Boston Celtics front office would be forgotten. For someone who had given every piece of himself to the franchise, from rookie phenom to three-time NBA champion and league MVP, it seemed natural that retirement would lead him back to the only basketball home he ever knew. There was no hesitation when he accepted a front office role with the Celtics. In his eyes, it was an extension of his loyalty to the team that shaped his career and legacy. Leaving the Celtics Bird lasted only five years in the front office and left when he felt that his opinions and views in the front office weren't valued or even heard. He didn't plan on returning to Boston. "That's when I resigned from the Celtics. I have never looked back … It's too bad my time with the Celtics ended that way," Bird said. "I had some great years in Boston, and I still love it out there. I'd love to go back someday, but things have changed, and that whole organization is completely different than it was. There's nothing for me there now." In 1992, Bird officially retired from playing, and just two years later, in 1994, he joined the Celtics front office, working alongside then-owner Paul Gaston. He was named special assistant to the Celtics' senior management, a title that sounded important but came with the foggy reality of limited authority. He had spent his career speaking with his game, leading by example and expecting mutual respect. In the front office, that clarity disappeared. What seemed to be collaborative decision-making on paper was, in Bird's experience, something very different behind closed doors. Several decisions and circumstances left him disillusioned. During his time, the Celtics went through a turbulent period. The team struggled on the court, and ideas clashed in the front office. Bird, whose basketball instincts had never failed him, was routinely sidelined in discussions, and his input began to carry less and less weight. He was brought in to offer guidance, but found himself in a position where his name was on the door, yet his influence was lost friendship Adding to that frustration was the situation surrounding the head coaching position. The team had fallen into a rough patch under M.L. Carr, and ownership began floating the idea of finding new leadership. Bird was asked to be part of the process of scouting for replacements and in his mind, Carr had already been made aware of the plan. But that assumption turned out to be wrong — and costly. "It's disappointing that so many relationships I had with people fell apart," Bird said. "But I would feel a lot worse about it if I thought I had done something wrong. I'm not wrong. I'm sorry M.L. didn't like it that he lost the coaching job, but it wasn't my decision. And I never would have purposely kept it from him about looking for a new coach. I thought he knew." "And I feel bad that Dennis Johnson was frustrated," he continued. "He, like everyone else, probably thinks I should just stop everything and tell the Pacers to hire him, but I can't do that. I don't believe that should end our friendship." Carr had been an energetic, defensive-minded former teammate and Bird had always shared mutual respect with him. But the narrative became complicated when it emerged that the coaching change had been orchestrated behind Carr's back. Even if Bird had acted with good intentions, believing his former teammate had been informed, the damage was already done. In Carr's eyes, it was betrayal. On another front, Dennis Johnson, who was then an assistant coach and another Celtics great, had expected to be part of the conversation about the head coaching role. Bird, who was involved in listing potential candidates, did not include Johnson and also did not include him on the shortlist for an assistant coaching position with the Indiana Pacers. It created a sense of being overlooked, and Johnson's disappointment extended to their personal relationship. Bird would later find the professional respect he sought when he joined the Pacers in 1997 as head coach, winning Coach of the Year in his first season and leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2000. Unlike his Celtics front office experience, his time in Indiana allowed him to call the shots, earn respect on merit and work in an environment that trusted his story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Anfernee Simons trade helps Boston Celtics in future deals
The Celtics were all but guaranteed to make several trades this summer to clear their payroll. They made their first big move of the offseason by trading Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two future second-round picks. Immediately, this has the makings of a positive trade for the Celtics from a salary cap perspective. They save $4.7 million for next year's cap hit, which is a start as more trades are expected down the line. The C's are still about $18 million above the second apron line, so further deals will be necessary to keep chipping away at that number. Holiday, 35, also doesn't match Boston's timeline while Simons, 26, could conceivably fit with either the Celtics or a different team. Advertisement But beyond how Simons fits on the roster, the Celtics made this deal for salary purposes. They get out of Holiday's contract, which still has three years and $104 million going forward. Simons, in comparison, is an expiring contract and will make $27.7 million this upcoming year. Most importantly, the Celtics got a positive asset in Simons — that's a big benefit. That goes beyond the fit and how he could play on a Boston roster that's bound to see more changes in the coming weeks. Not only did the C's land a young player on an expiring contract, they also added a pair of future second-round draft picks. This first trade allows the front office to be flexible going forward because they didn't need to attach any assets just to get off Holiday's contract. Simons is an effective offensive player who should turn some heads if he does indeed stay put with the Celtics for the upcoming season. He's a shotmaker and playmaker who's also a career 38.1% 3-point shooter. From an offensive standpoint, there's a lot to like as the Celtics can deploy him in a number of different ways. It gets clunky defensively within the context of the current roster. Simons is 6-foot-3 and isn't the most physical defender. Compared to the versatile Holiday, that's a big step back on that end. Plus, Payton Pritchard is also a smaller, offensive-minded guard, so how Simons and Pritchard fit alongside each other is another question mark. Advertisement Expect the Celtics to continue shopping in the coming days considering the 2025 NBA Draft is now just a day away. Teams across the league are going to be incentivized to get deals done ahead of the draft, so that's when the Celtics can make some follow-up moves. There are still contracts on the roster like Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser who will garner interest, allowing the Celtics to cut more salary. For now, this Holiday deal was just the first one domino. Boston president Brad Stevens has done a stellar job of navigating the C's roster ever since taking over back in the summer of 2021. The follow-up moves will be more important than this first deal, but it certainly looks like the Celtics are well-positioned going forward. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Boston Celtics forward criticizes Kristaps Porzingis
With the Celtics in the thick of trade rumors, just about everyone seemingly has an opinion on what Boston's front office should do this summer. The C's are looking to shed salary off their payroll, so the roster will look different. It's just a question of who exactly could be moved and what return the Celtics will get in any trades. Marcus Morris Sr. was blunt when asked about the Celtics' future on an appearance on Yahoo! Sports' "Good Word With Goodwill." The former C's forward made it clear what he thinks about current big man Kristaps Porzingis, specifically. Morris played for the Celtics from 2017-19, playing in a total of 832 career NBA games. Advertisement 'I don't think they need any major changes,' Morris said. 'I'm going to be candid because I'm on the media's side. Porzingis is not a Celtic. Porzingis doesn't embody what they need from him. That's not no knock to him; I know he has injuries. I think you definitely dangle him to see what you can get. But I don't think you can get that much, to be honest, the way this league is going on.' Porzingis has played the past two seasons in Boston, and while he's shown his otherworldly talent, he just hasn't been consistently healthy. That was again the case publicly during the East semifinals against the Knicks. Porzingis was bogged down significantly by his illness during the series as the Celtics were upset in six games. Porzingis is one guy who could be moved this summer, though it also depends on what the Celtics could get back for him. While the C's know about his injury history, so does the rest of the league. With one year and $30.7 million left on his contract, it remains to be seen what teams are willing to give up for the talented big man. The Celtics are also shopping other names like Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser, while potentially listening to offers for some of their core guys. That's part of the uncertainty when it comes to this summer as, depending on the haul, a key piece could be unexpectedly traded. But, for now, the Celtics front office is doing their due diligence ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. Advertisement 'Jrue Holiday, I feel like Jrue still has a ton of years left in him,' Morris said. 'Wherever Jrue goes, he's still going to be able to help a team. The things he brings to the team is unmatched. Defensively, scoring, being able to guard multiple positions. I'm a little skeptical about trading the Jrue thing, but I know they just kind of want to open their books. They got a lot of money on the books.' More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
