NBA

Larry Bird resigns as Pacers president, Kevin Pritchard to take over

A.J. Perez
USA TODAY Sports
According to a report, Larry Bird will step down as Pacers president.

Larry Bird has resigned as president of the Indiana Pacers, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick confirmed from a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about Bird's decision.

Bird, the former Boston Celtics great, had served as team president since 2003. Kevin Pritchard will succeed Bird as the president of basketball operations. Bird will remain with the Pacers as a consultant.

Bird had spent the last 20 years with the Pacers, the first three as the team’s head coach. Bird, 60, was the 2012 NBA Executive of the Year.

Yahoo Sports was first to report Bird's resignation.

For months, Bird had sought to sign Pacers superstar Paul George to an extension. George’s contract expires at the conclusion of next season, and he has been reluctant to commit long-term to the Pacers, who were swept out of the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. It was the first seven-game series sweep in Pacers history.

"As I told Larry, I always want to play on a winning team,” George said on ESPN Radio earlier this year. "It's frustrating just playing the game for stats or for numbers or to showcase yourself. Man, I want a chance to play for ... a championship.”

Bird now no longer has to make a decision to trade George over the next several months if George isn’t satisfied with the Pacers’ offseason maneuvers.

Bird helped construct a Pacers team that reached back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals (2013-14), but deconstructed that group, including firing coach Frank Vogel this past offseason.

Bird promoted Nate McMillan to head coach and traded for Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young over the summer. This year's Pacers team entered the season with high expectations, but failed to meet them. Indiana finished 42-40 and was the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Pritchard served as Portland's general manager from 2008-2010. He joined the Pacers in 2011 as director of player personnel, and was promoted to general manager in 2012.

Contributing: Matthew Glenesk  of The Indianapolis Star. 

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