The Celtics have now made Wednesday's news of a major organizational shakeup official, as they released a statement announcing that Danny Ainge is "retiring" from his role as president of basketball operations, that Brad Stevens has been "promoted" to that role, and that a search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
Ainge, Stevens and owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca all commented on the moves in the team's press release. Here is what they said:
Ainge: "Helping guide this organization has been the thrill of a lifetime, and having worked side-by-side with him since he's been here, I know we couldn't be in better hands than with Brad guiding the team going forward. I'm grateful to ownership, all of my Celtics colleagues, and the best fans in basketball for being part of the journey."
Stevens: "I'm grateful to ownership and to Danny for trusting me with this opportunity. I'm excited to tackle this new role, starting with a wide ranging and comprehensive search for our next head coach. I love the Celtics, and know the great honor and responsibility that comes with this job. I will give it everything I have to help us be in position to consistently compete for championships."
Grousbeck: "Danny has made all the difference over the past 18 years – our record of winning percentage and playoff victories is near the top of the league during that time. He has always been a relentless competitor and a winner. Red Auerbach told us Danny is 'lucky,' and he was right, but a lot of the luck came from his intense drive and his incredible basketball insights. Turning to Brad is a natural next step, since we have built a partnership over the past eight years, and he is a special basketball mind. We want him to lead us into the next great era of Celtics basketball."
Pagliuca: "I have loved every day I have worked with Danny and we have really benefited from his relentless pursuit of excellence and high integrity approach to the game. Danny built a team that brought us our 17th championship, and leaves us with a great foundation of talent for us to build upon, including of course bringing Brad Stevens into the organization. To replace someone of Danny's stature, we know we need a great talent evaluator, a great leader, and a great communicator, and Brad possesses all of those qualities in abundance."
