When the Celtics abruptly announced Danny Ainge was stepping down from his role as president of basketball operations, few people believed it was a legitimate retirement.
That’s probably because Ainge never even pretended he was leaving the NBA for good — or even a couple of years. As it turns out, Ainge was gone for about five months, counting the offseason.
When Ainge spoke to the press to explain his sudden departure, he never said the words “retire” or “retirement.” He left his future plans unclear. “I don’t know what my future holds,” Ainge said.
There’s reason to believe there was some organizational momentum pushing for Ainge’s ouster. In addition to weak drafts and a series of player personnel blunders, he didn’t seem close with the players. That’s usually fine for an executive, if not preferred. But in the NBA, it’s all about building interpersonal connections with egotistical superstars.
Ainge didn’t have those. Two years ago, Anthony Davis’ father memorably called out Ainge for trading Isaiah Thomas after his hip injury. An NBA executive told Bleacher Report players flat out didn’t trust the Celtics’ front office. Celtics players were reportedly upset with Ainge last season when he publicly criticized their lackluster play.
On top of that, when Kyrie Irving brought up Boston’s unsavory history with race, Ainge said he’s never heard about racism at the Garden.
Ainge’s comments also imply he was forced out. In July, he told Dan Shaughnessy he wanted to work again. Ainge repeated those sentiments to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg Dec. 8, just one week before joining the Jazz’ front office.
The Celtics’ spin now is that Ainge just needed some time off to recharge. Brad Stevens, who insists Ainge informed him of his plans two months before stepping down, said Thursday in a radio interview he always expected Ainge to work again.
That may be true, but even Michael Jordan’s retirements lasted longer. That’s because Ainge never retired. He was pushed out.