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Allanfan20
Posts: 35947
Alba Posts: 50
Joined: 1/16/2004
Member: #542
USA
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Yo man, copy and paste the article:
Knicks Likely to Seek New President
By HOWARD BECK
Published: March 19, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — James L. Dolan remains publicly silent regarding the fate of Isiah Thomas and the future of the Knicks. But his intentions are coming into focus, and they almost certainly include removing Thomas as the team’s president.
Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman, has spoken with the Indiana Pacers’ Donnie Walsh about running the Knicks, according to a person with ties to Walsh. The two might have already met in person once and are likely to meet next week, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Formal negotiations have not yet begun.
The talks were first reported by The Daily News on Monday. Neither the Knicks nor the Pacers have commented, and Walsh has declined all interview requests.
It is not clear whether Walsh, the Pacers’ longtime general manager and current chief executive, is Dolan’s first choice or merely one candidate among many. There are a number of potential obstacles to hiring him. But those who know Walsh say the process could move quickly now that the talks have become public.
Walsh, 67, has been with the Pacers since 1984 and is known to be intensely loyal to the team’s owners, Mel and Herb Simon. He remains friendly with Thomas, whom he hired to coach the Pacers in 2000. And while he has been noncommittal about his future with the Pacers, Walsh is sensitive to the effect his decision will have on Larry Bird, the Pacers’ president.
In light of those relationships, it is believed that Walsh will seek a quick resolution, whether it means returning to the Pacers or leaving for the Knicks or another N.B.A. team. He would prefer not to drag out discussions and leave everyone involved in limbo.
That means that Thomas’s fate could be known before the season ends April 16. He seems to sense as much. Thomas has worn a grave expression in recent meetings with reporters. And while he has repeatedly said that he expects to be with the Knicks beyond this season, Thomas has lost the fiery, defiant tone he carried through December and January.
Landing Walsh, with his extensive résumé and two decades of success, would bring instant credibility to the Knicks’ front office and signal a major change in philosophy for Dolan. Since forcing out Dave Checketts as the Garden’s president in 2001 and taking a hands-on role, Dolan has gambled on untested basketball executives — first Scott Layden, then Thomas. Their leadership has produced seven straight losing seasons and a bloated payroll that annually ranks at the top of the league.
Walsh, a native of the Bronx, is said to be intrigued by the challenge of fixing the Knicks. But he also may be wary of the Garden’s stifling culture. Walsh has long been known as an accessible, open and media-friendly figure, which is sure to clash with Dolan’s preference for secrecy and control over his employees.
Thomas rarely spoke publicly as the Knicks’ president before also becoming the head coach. As the coach, Thomas is bound by N.B.A. rules to meet regularly with reporters, although — in keeping with Garden policy — he generally refrains from public criticism, and he is not permitted to give interviews without a public-relations representative present. Walsh is likely to push for a more relaxed atmosphere before accepting the job.
It is also likely that Walsh would seek assurances that Dolan stay away from the day-to-day operations of the team.
It remains to be seen whether a new team president would have the authority to decide Thomas’s fate as coach. Dolan signed Thomas to a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract extension a year ago, and he may prefer to keep him on the bench.
Walsh, who gave Thomas his first coaching job, may be the one N.B.A. executive who would agree to that arrangement. (It was Bird, not Walsh, who fired Thomas as Pacers coach in 2003.)
The other wild card in play is the Simon brothers. Walsh has run their team since 1986, and by all accounts they want to keep him. That could mean firing Bird and handing daily control of the team back to Walsh. Although Walsh hired Bird, first as the coach and later as the team president, their working relationship has been strained in recent years. Bird acknowledged this week for the first time that he may not be back after the season.
“Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ and if they would, I do NOT do that thing.”- Dwight Schrute
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3/19/2008 5:17 AM
