Even if it’s really, really tempting.
For all of Bird’s legendary exploits on the basketball court in the 1980s — three rings, three MVPs, 12 All-Star selections and 21,791 career points, for starters — Bird has been somewhat disappointing as director of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers since 2003. His time as one of the greatest Celtics of all time, perhaps even the greatest, seems like a past life now. Today’s generation knows Bird as a mediocre executive, not as one of the most brilliant men ever to play the game.
But you just don’t fire Larry Bird. He’s an institution in this game, even if he hasn’t guided the Pacers to the playoffs since 2006 and his chances this year are beginning to slip away. He’s Larry Legend, and he’s earned tenure better than anyone. So when Pacers owner Herb Simon announced this week that Bird’s job was safe, it was really no surprise.
But if not fire Bird, then what should Simon and the Pacers do? Because something’s got to change. Their franchise is on the verge of five straight losing seasons. They haven’t finished above .500 since 2005, they’ve been to the Finals only once (in 2000), and they’ve still yet to win a championship since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976. They’ve got to shake something up.
Ditching Larry Legend isn’t the answer. Having a Hall of Fame player around can inspire the modern-day guys to achieve greatness — Bill Russell, Jerry West and Michael Jordan are all examples of former players who have influenced later generations.
But Bird and the Pacers do need to change their strategy if they want to compete for a title. They’re stuck in basketball purgatory, and they need a way out. Sadly, 36-win seasons are contagious in today’s NBA — you have one, you’re not good enough to attract free agents, and you’re not bad enough to pull down a top draft pick. So you get stuck in the middle.
The Pacers can’t play it safe anymore. Their fans don’t deserve an eternity of watching a mediocre team. They’ve got to take a risk on something — overpaying for a marquee player, trading up to land a big-time lottery pick, taking a gamble on the guy with questionable character but freakish upside. You can’t win in this league without at least a little bit of superstar talent, and Bird has never made the necessary gambles to find any.
Larry Bird could still be a champion in the NBA again. In his playing days, he was one of the greatest, and there’s still hope for him as an executive, too. But he’s got to take a chance if he wants to make the Pacers relevant again. Herb Simon gave Bird his career back, and it’s up to Bird not to make him regret it.
