 "Photo: AP Photo/Darron Cummings")
INDIANAPOLIS - Isiah Thomas was fired Wednesday as coach of the Indiana Pacers, a surprise move by new boss Larry Bird that came only two months before the start of the season.
Thomas, an NBA Hall of Famer, led the young Pacers into the playoffs in all three of his seasons, but they were knocked out in the first round each year.
"The major thing was looking at the team, how it finished up last year," Bird said. "I came in with an open mind. I never thought we would be releasing our coach."
Bird said his first choice to replace Thomas was Rick Carlisle but added no deal had been reached.
Carlisle was an assistant during Bird's time as Indiana's coach. Carlisle spent the past two seasons as coach of the Detroit Pistons before being fired in May.
"Probably today or tomorrow, probably today, we will talk with him," Bird said.
The Pacers were 131-115 in the regular season under Thomas. The team said it would honor the final year of his contract.
Thomas was with the U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this week. He checked out of his hotel Tuesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bird guided the Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals and the best three-year record in their NBA history during his time as coach. Thomas succeeded him as coach.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said he agreed with Bird, the president of basketball operations, on the decision to fire Thomas.
"The best thing for us and the best thing for Isiah was to do this now," Walsh said.
Indiana had the best record in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break this past season, making Thomas the All-Star coach, but went 14-19 the rest of the season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Boston.
Walsh, who hired Thomas in 2000, at the end of the season had said he expected Thomas would remain as coach, although he said the second-half swoon was troubling.
Bird and Thomas were contentious rivals from their days of leading the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons to NBA titles in the 1980s.
Pacers players continued to voice support for Thomas. Jermaine O'Neal, then a free agent, said before he re-signed with the team last month he would not play for anybody but Thomas with the Pacers.
The biggest criticism of Thomas was his inconsistent rotations. While most players preferred a set role, Thomas made his decisions on his own feelings for a particular game and team matchups.
Be the first to comment on this article!