Larry Bird Steeping Down From Pacers

The New York Daily News reported Monday former team president Donnie Walsh would return to the Pacers in some capacity, and various reports indicate former Portland Trail Blazers Kevin Pritchard will take over — or already has — for Pacers GM David Morway.

Nothing will become official until Bird meets with owner Herb Simon on Tuesday, the Star reported.

Bird has not addressed the media since a press conference May 30. At the time, he sounded upbeat and energized about the team and his role in rebuilding the Pacers into a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

In Bird's fourth season atop the front office, the Pacers earned the third seed in the East and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to eventual champion Miami in six games.

"I love this team; there's no question about it," Bird said then. "This is one of the best locker rooms we've had. The attitude has changed in the last few years. It's been a breath of fresh air."

The only man in league history to earn MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year, Bird spent 13 seasons with the Pacers, the final 10 in the front office. After a successful run as head coach from 1997-2000, he rejoined  When Walsh left in 2008 to take charge of the New York Knicks, Bird stepped into team president's role and set about rebuilding a franchise with major salary cap and chemistry issues.

His two signature moves came last summer, when he signed free-agent power forward David West and traded for point guard George Hill, moves that took the team to another level.

"I love my job," he said. "This is one of the best; there's just 30 of them. Obviously, we went through some tough times and now we're reaping the benefits of what we saw three or four years ago."by conrad brunner