PACERS: Walsh announcement not a distraction for team

Walsh announcement not a distraction for team

By Conrad Brunner | March 25, 2008

Caught in the Web: As usual, Walsh was right

Press conference: Transcript | Video

Though Donnie Walsh's decision to announce the end of his tenure with the Pacers came with the team in the midst of a playoff battle, the official transfer of power to Larry Bird shouldn't be a distraction for those in and around the locker room.

To them, Monday's press conference was more ceremonial than structural.

Foster
"I think in everybody's mind Larry's been in charge the last couple of years," said veteran Jeff Foster, the team's elder statesman. "Especially some of the new guys, they've all dealt mostly with Larry. The guys that have been around awhile – Jermaine (O'Neal), myself, Jamaal (Tinsley) – dealt with Donnie before Larry was here so it makes it more clear in our eyes who is in charge now, who to go talk to if someone has a problem. It's a day that was going to come eventually and from what Donnie said he wanted to do it sooner but didn't want to leave things in the state they were in. I know everybody wishes him the best in whatever venture he takes on.

"He's slowly kind of been on the way out the last couple of years, trying to hand over control to Larry. This just makes it official. When I get an opportunity, I'll go up and thank him for everything he's done for me and my family and I've really appreciated the opportunity he's given me here."

Coach Jim O'Brien echoed Foster's sentiments and said he didn't think the timing of the announcement would have any impact on the team.

O'Brien
"It's one of the first things Larry said when I interviewed for the job, that in all likelihood Donnie will be leaving," O'Brien said. "What the press conference was about was one of the first things the Indiana Pacers ever said to me. I think the players feel the exact same way. We knew that Donnie was thinking about retiring from the Pacers and they brought in Larry for a reason. That's why I took the job and that's the way I think the players view it. I don't think it has any effect whatsoever."

That doesn't mean Walsh won't be missed, said O'Brien.

"I feel blessed that I had at least one year to be around Donnie, to have him be at practices on a daily basis and to be able to sit and develop a relationship with Donnie," he said. "Everybody would wish that you could be in an organization with Donnie for an extended period of time. But when I sat down with Larry, I knew Donnie's tenure in all likelihood was going to come to an end.

"I think from an NBA perspective, I can't think of anybody more respected as an executive with a knowledge of basketball and how to grow a team and put together a team, I don't know anybody better than Donnie. The other thing is he does all of his positive things and he's the consummate gentlemen. He's one of the most comfortable human beings I've ever been around in this business and I hope for the sake of the league that Donnie decides to stay in it. I think if the league ever loses somebody of his caliber, we're less of a league."