Think you need thick skin to be a professional athlete? Try being a front office executive.
No one knows this more than Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, whose dealings are the subject of constant scrutiny in sports-crazed Boston. But apparently Ainge has fully embraced the hate.
In an interview with the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett, the Celtics exec detailed how his past — from receiving death threats as a star high school athlete to being the ultimate instigator during his playing days in Boston — has helped him become virtually immune to criticism.
“I actually get a kick out of things that are said publicly,” Ainge told Bulpett. “I get a kick out of things that are in a notification that I read on Twitter. It makes me laugh.”
Ainge received some backlash from his latest bold move to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. But even now, he doesn’t think twice about the risks involved — in fact, he even confidently compared himself to a certain highly successful New England Patriots quarterback.
“Some people are more willing to take the criticism if something doesn’t go right,” Ainge said. “It’s like being a player. If you’re a leader on a championship team, I mean, you’ve got to take the responsibility for the good nights and the bad nights.
“If you’re Tom Brady, you’ve got to take more responsibility than other people, and if you’re afraid of that responsibility, then what’s the point in playing?”
Put another way: Ainge isn’t afraid of making the tough throws with the game on the line. And even if some of those throws result in interceptions, he’s willing to take the risks to score a touchdown.
“I don’t get nervous,” Ainge added. “I enjoy difficult decisions. I enjoy being part of a process with the (management) team we have now, because I think it’s so functional. We know every decision we make isn’t going to be the right one, and time is our judge.”
Thumbnail photo via Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports Images
