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Bird is new Pacers President of Basketball

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Pacers announced Friday that their former coach and Hall of Fame member Larry Bird has been named the team's President of Basketball.

"It's great to have Larry Bird as a Pacer again," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Donnie Walsh. "While I will remain the chief executive officer, Larry will begin to assume the day-to-day basketball responsibilities. As Pacers Sports & Entertainment has grown, I've seen my responsibilities grow and I needed somebody to assume the responsibility of basketball operations. There is no one more perfect for the Pacers than Larry.

"While Larry was coach, I was very impressed with not only his knowledge of the game, but of the NBA and what it took to win a championship. I think this will be a huge benefit to our owners, our franchise, our coaches, our players and our fans."

"As everyone knows, I've recently expressed interest in getting back into the NBA," said Bird, who has resided in Naples, Fla., the past three years. "This opportunity came along and the chance for me to learn from Donnie Walsh, to be part of a class franchise with great owners, to be with a coach who also knows about winning championships and is as committed to winning one here as I am, makes this a special situation. And it's good to be back home."

Bird has been out of the game since 2000, when as coach of the Pacers he guided them to the NBA Finals. In three seasons with the team, he compiled a 147-67 record (.687) and earned Coach of the Year honors in 1997 when the Pacers posted a franchise-best winning percentage of .707 (58-24) and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bird, a native Hoosier from French Lick, Ind., had a basketball career that placed him in the Hall of Fame in October of 1998. He was an Indiana High School All-Star after playing for Springs Valley. He then played collegiately at Indiana State, where in 1979 he was the College Player of the Year and led the Sycamores to the NCAA championship game.

What Bird accomplished in his 13-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics ranks him with the game's all-time greats: helped the Celtics to three World Championships; he was the league's MVP three straight years; he was Rookie of the Year in 1980; he was twice an NBA Finals MVP; he was a nine-time all-NBA First Team selection; he was selected as an NBA All-Star 12 times, earning one All-Star game MVP award; and he was a member of the 1992 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Basketball "Dream Team."

After retiring from the Celtics in 1992, he served as a consultant for them before joining the Pacers as head coach in 1996.