Larry Bird’s head-faking, bed-unmaking, Dwight Howard imitating stretch as Pacers president is coming to a conclusion at season’s end regardless of how the 26-18 team finishes, maintains someone very much in the know.
“He has definitely decided not to return,” the source asserted.
Hired six seasons ago as Donnie Walsh’s eventual replacement, Bird was paid $5 million per for the first five. It appeared he was about to retire to his home in Naples, Fla., after last season. However, a strong finish, topped by a promising first round playoff showing against the Bulls, and an appeal from owner Herb Simon to stick around convinced him otherwise, in spite of having his salary slashed to $1 million.
A handshake promise was given Simon last summer by Bird that he would consider re-upping for another season, but that has been ruled out. It’s believed Simon is aware of such and has a petite list of prospective replacement candidates.
Walsh, I’m told, is eager to get back to work full time for a team as soon as his consultancy contract with the Knicks expires, yet it’s doubtful he would be rehired by Simons.
“They’re just not as close as they once were,” claimed a source.
The firm belief by those with a pulse on the situation: Simon is more apt to choose a marquee name like Reggie Miller or Chris Mullin as opposed to promoting the people on site, general manager David Moray or personnel director Kevin Pritchard.
Look for Walsh to resurface as a reasonable contender for jobs in Orlando or Washington should Otis Smith be fired and/or Ernie Grunfeld not be rehired.
The latter is looming. I’m informed the former Knicks president recently turned down a three-year, $4.5 million extension proposed by Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. Most in sports management would kill a mockingbird to pull such power attached to that purse string. Then again, most people haven’t pocketed $4.5 million annually as Grunfeld has over half a decade.
Not to disparage immaculate Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson, but I would have been stun-gunned had the Knicks not assumed a role reversal after Took-A-Hike Mike D’Antoni decided enough was enough. Any new larynx would’ve been a better listen than the last guy.
Someone, perhaps Doug Collins, please explain this to me: Jeremy Lin went 4-for-17 (0-for-3 from beyond), yet was pristine from 15 (10-for-10), and almost never misses a free throw anymore. Couldn’t the 76ers have forced Lin’s hand, either made him get rid of the ball before infesting the lane or turned him into a jump shooter?
This just in: Tim Tebow is praying for the Nets.
For whatever it’s worth, even an armchair acerbic such as me sees through Tebow’s acquisition: Get the underachieving J-E-T-S on the (front and) back page and the Super Bowl champion Giants on the back burner.
For whatever it’s worthless, does anyone really care about Antonio Cromartie’s opinion on the subject, or any subject, for that matter? Just the precinct I want to hear from, the guy who has knocked up the only handful of women Spawn Kemp didn’t get to first.
Let’s hear it for Byron Scott, por favor, the latest in the coaching fraternity to foul up, if you will. His Cavaliers led by three with 5.4 ticks remaining with the Hawks inbounding. Jeff Teague caught the pass inside and waited patiently (plenty of time and opportunity to send him to the line for two shots) for Joe Johnson to curl around a double screen for an uncontested, straightaway equalizer. I’m guessing you all know what happened in overtime.
Word has it Kings president Geoff Petrie is about to sign a new deal. Wonder if the Maloof Brothers know he claimed Travis Outlaw (32-104, including 6-35 from deep) off the amnesty wire for $3.5 million. … Steve Blake should go the Metta World Peace route so he can have the words “Bench-me” on the back of his jersey, column contributor Rasheid McCorvey underlines.
Memo to Warriors’ co-owner Joe Lacob who was given a standing boovation (for approving the Monta Ellis trade, no doubt) when he tried to speak during Mullins’ jersey retirement ceremony: Outside of you, there hasn’t been anyone who pays the bills booed more since I requested a family meeting.
It’s taking longer than I thought for the Clippers to get over the trading of Brian Cook. Not even Chris Paul’s return to New Orleans Thursday night cured their ills, a below-the-equator 7-12 of late. Though it looks as if Vinny Del Negro is caught in the rip tides’ undertow, the only two people I’m holding blameless are Ralph Lawler and Lamond Murray.
So, Charles Barkley contends playing zone in the NCAA Tourney bleeps; supposedly too easy to score on. Meanwhile, Norfolk State, Baylor, Syracuse and Louisville [starts 1-1-3, then matches up] won at least one game with it. In point of fact, Barkley’s area of expertise on the matter is limited to erogenous zones. … This just in: Having signed Gilbert Arenas, the Grizzlies changed the name of their building to FedExCon Forum.
Lou Rossini’s late ’50’s/early ’60’s basketball teams, when basketball was king at NYU, took a huge hit within the last month. Both Russ Cunningham and Neil O’Neill passed away following lingering illnesses.
Cunningham started alongside Satch Sanders, Cal Ramsey, Al Barden and Ray Paprocky on the Violets’ Final Four 1960 squad that lost to Cincinnati (Oscar Robertson). O’Neill was the unsung red-headed jet engine that powered the undefeated freshman and nationally-ranked forces. Happy Hairston, Barry Kramer, Don Boose, Donnie Blaha, Bob Williams and Frank Turpin were teammates.
Last week, a memorial was held Cunningham, a school principal before suffering a stroke. O’Neill’s service is scheduled for tomorrow in St. Ignatius Martyr Church, Long Beach at 10 a.m. Father Frank Shannon will officiate.
peter.vecsey@nypost.com