Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is to retire with head coach Brad Stevens moving up to the front office to replace him; the Celtics were eliminated from the NBA playoffs by Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday
Wednesday 2 June 2021 17:17, UK
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is leaving the sideline to replace Danny Ainge as president of basketball operations.
The team said Ainge, 62, is retiring after 18 seasons and will assist during the transition this offseason.
A search for a new head coach will begin immediately with Stevens responsible for finding his replacement.
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said: "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.
"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."
The Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs in five games by the Brooklyn Nets, who dominated game five of the first-round series on Tuesday.
They finished the regular season with a 36-36 record, struggling to find their momentum amid losses to key players because of injuries and extended Covid-19 absences.
Boston did not announce any other front office moves, nor did the team address the future of Mike Zarren, Ainge's assistant who long was considered to be his successor.
During Ainge's tenure, the Celtics made 15 playoff appearances, seven Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals and won the championship in 2008, the franchise's 17th and first in 22 years.
As a player with the Celtics, Ainge won NBA titles in 1984 and '86.
Sports Illustrated reported Ainge could weigh other opportunities.
Stevens turned down a reported seven-year, $70m offer to return to his home state and coach the Indiana Hoosiers this spring. He is a legend in Indiana, where he led Butler to back-to-back NCAA championship games in 2010 and '11.
ESPN said Stevens reportedly was "worn down" by coaching and welcomed the chance to transition to a new role.
The Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference finals three times in Stevens' eight-year tenure as coach, including in 2020.
