Bird: I Never Doubt Ainge

[sed522002]

 

-- On the moves Danny Ainge has made: "Believe me, Danny Ainge knows what he's doing. He's had great success. He's won a championship. I never doubt Danny Ainge. I only doubted him when he had the ball in his hands with three seconds to go. But not in the position he is in now. Danny does a good job."

 

-- On whether Paul Pierce should have been allowed to play his whole career with the Celtics: "Well, you’d love to see it. I would love to see it. I've got a lot of respect for Paul and what he's accomplished there. Yes, I would have. But who says he's not going to play another four years? So it's a tough situation."
 
    -- On where Pierce ranks among Celtic greats: "He's one of the better ones to ever come through there. he really is."

- See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/celtics_insider/2013/07/larry_bird_discusses_celtics_moves_pierce_stevens#sthash.F9AG9Cn8.dpuf

[Chris]

HA.  I love that Bird still takes a shot at Danny, even when he is complimenting him. 

[JJones1090]

Larry likes Ainge. No one dislikes Larry...people want to be like Larry. Therefore, you cannot dislike Ainge.

He is an excellent GM. And I love the respect Larry shows PP here. I agree, I wish I could have seen him in Celtic green forever. Unfortunately nothing stays green forever.

[Onslaught]

" I only doubted him when he had the ball in his hands with three seconds to go."

Good O'l Larry Bird.

[timobusa]

If Larry thinks Ainge is doing a good GM job, I believe it.
Larry put together a great Indiana Team.

[Chris]

If Larry thinks Ainge is doing a good GM job, I believe it.
Larry put together a great Indiana Team.

Let's be careful though, Larry wouldn't say it if he didn't think Danny was doing a good job.  This comment doesn't really mean much.

[86MaxwellSmart]

The Gastons pretty much ran Larry out of town...I remember him saying the C's would NEVER win another Title with that Ownership--! He was correct.

[timobusa]

If Larry thinks Ainge is doing a good GM job, I believe it.
Larry put together a great Indiana Team.

Let's be careful though, Larry wouldn't say it if he didn't think Danny was doing a good job.  This comment doesn't really mean much.

Thats exactly what I said.

??

[clover]

" I only doubted him when he had the ball in his hands with three seconds to go."

Good O'l Larry Bird.

He never disappoints.  McHale and Ainge are pretty free with the zingers too, but Larry does it with such economy.

[aingeforthree]

All in good fun with Bird when he talks Ainge.  Still good friends, and Larry has to rib him here or there still.  It wouldn't be Larry if he didn't.

Ainge is doing a helluva job.  Has been since he's gotten here.  Good to see the legend recognizing Ainge that way.

People on this board will continue to doubt him.  Bird won't though.

Call him names all you want, but Ainge knows what the hell he's doing.  Glad he is still on our side.

[JJones1090]

If Larry thinks Ainge is doing a good GM job, I believe it.
Larry put together a great Indiana Team.

Let's be careful though, Larry wouldn't say it if he didn't think Danny was doing a good job.  This comment doesn't really mean much.

Thats exactly what I said.

??

Lol let me be the mediator. Because I re-read his post a few times over. What we have here is a failure to communicate.

He meant Larry wouldn't tell the media he thought Danny was doing a poor job as GM even if he thought he was. Larry has to say he likes Danny as a GM. So, Larry's comment doesn't mean much. Either way he thought, he'd say the same thing.

That being said, if he did doubt Ainge, I very seriously doubt he'd say with such absolute language that he thought Ainge was doing a great job.

[Mencius]

Considering Danny inherited a no upside roster, dismantled it, turned it into a champion within a few years by acquiring stars that most thought would give us a 3 year max window, I can see why Bird doesn't doubt Danny.  That he stretched the 3 year window to 5 years, and then, rather than letting the guys ride off into the sunset with no return, got 4 first rounders for Doc, KG, and PP when it was clear that that nucleus could no longer contend, is more reason for Bird not to doubt him. 

Can we point to a couple of bad draft choices?  Sure.  A couple of FA signings while having very little cap flexibility that we'd take back?  Again, with the benefit of hindsight, sure.  But the larger story with Ainge is that he inherited garbage, turned it into a championship team, with several more years of legitimate contention, and then sold off declining assets rather than letting them go for nothing.  I'm with Larry on this one.

[Banner18now!]

The Gastons pretty much ran Larry out of town...I remember him saying the C's would NEVER win another Title with that Ownership--! He was correct.

I thought it was the Pitino factor on why Bird left?

Pitino wanted to run everything and Bird left.

Pitino is the biggest fraud out there.

[Celtics4ever]

If only some of the posters here would open their eyes on Ainge.  I am with Larry on this one.   No more fire Ainge threads!

[clover]

Didn't the Pacers just deliver Colton to Danny?  Good to keep friendly relations among the old Celtics family.