NBA

Former Knicks exec Walsh has no regrets

Donnie Walsh, after spending a summer in Indianapolis relaxing with his family, has no regrets on his decision to pass on Knicks owner James Dolan’s contract extension to run the franchise. Last night, Walsh, 70, was back in Manhattan, looking dapper as the Bronx native/former Fordham Prep star was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame at the New York Athletic Club.

“I spent the last 25 years running franchises, now I’m not,” Walsh told The Post. “But there’s a release that I don’t have to do that anymore. I haven’t missed it in that nature and I’ve enjoyed being home with my family.”

Walsh’s title changed from team president to consultant, ending a three-year run. Perhaps because of the lockout, he barely has heard from interim president Glen Grunwald, who attended last night’s Hall induction with assistant general manager Allan Houston and a dozen of other Knicks staffers.

“They will [call] but not a lot,” said Walsh, the former longtime Pacers president. “It’s not like I’ll call them up a lot. It’s hard to gauge right now [because of the lockout]. I’m available for anything they want me to do up to a point, if I thought it would be important I’d do it.”

Walsh was in power for the decision to push coach Mike D’Antoni to add another top assistant coach, with a defensive emphasis. Walsh was not consulted on Mike Woodson but likes the choice.

“I think Mike will be good for Mike D’Antoni,” Walsh said. “I’ve heard good things about [Woodson] as a coach and guy. It’ll help them. It’s always good to have a guy come in from a different perspective. I know his mentors, Bobby Knight and Larry Brown, and [Woodson] can offer them [defensive] systems that will be good for them. I also think they may have better defensive personnel. Let’s hope so.”

Walsh knows he did not finish the job of building a title contender but said he feels he came close, assembling Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

“We have a core of players we can build around to build a [championship-contending] team,” Walsh said. “We’re not finished. There’s more pieces. But I think we got some really good players that can lead a team and form a core of that team. What we have are the most important things.”

During his goodbye conference call in June, Walsh said he turned down a three-year extension because he didn’t want to make a long commitment because of health and not wanting to be away from his family. Nevertheless, his recovery from hip-replacement surgery is nearly complete (he only uses a cane on occasion) and there’s always speculation he will rejoin the Pacers.

“My wife didn’t come up here [to New York], so I’m back with her, my dogs are there. I love them,” Walsh said. “I see my family. My grandchildren. I’ve gotten around with people [from the Pacers] I worked with, though I haven’t gone to the Pacers’ office. Someone asked me what I’m doing? Well, I’m doing nothing but I’m busy.”

Walsh was a star high school player at Fordham Prep and North Carolina before his NBA presidential career.

“This is a thrill because I grew up in New York,” Walsh said of his induction. “Normally I’m not comfortable with honors and wouldn’t like it at all. But being from New York it made a big difference. What amazes me here is the guys who are involved in the New York Basketball Hall of Fame, they were on the scene when I was playing. They’re older than I am.”

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Also inducted were former Knicks trainer Mike Saunders, former Far Rockaway/St. John’s star John Warren, former Washington Bullet Tom Henderson of the Bronx, college coach Jim Larranaga, Sonny Dove, Fordham’s Kenny Charles and Debbie Mason (Queens College).