For many years, Danny Ainge helped run one of the NBA’s most illustrious franchises. He achieved great success in Boston, leading the team to excellence year after year and even leading them to a title in 2008.
In 2021, he retired from his role as President of Basketball Operations, essentially closing that chapter of his career once and for all.
Now that he has taken a new job in Utah, Ainge reflected on his time with the Cs and explain why he ultimately decided to leave:
“I needed a break from Boston,” Ainge said during a press conference via NBC Sports. “And by the way, my 26 years in Boston were an amazing experience. I’ll always be grateful. One of the greatest things I’ve learned in this business was the relationships you build. Championship rings are our goals, and that’s what you really build a bond when you are trying to work for a championship. But the things I really cherish over those 26 years are the relationships that I developed. Those will always be there.”
“I’ve taken six or seven months off, and I’ve gotten a good break,” he continued. “I feel like I’m energized and ready to come back and get back to work. This is a different role, a unique role, getting the opportunity to work with [the Jazz] ownership and work with [head coach] Quin [Snyder] and [GM] Justin [Zanik] and what they’re doing. I’m anxious to get back and get to work.”
The Celtics are widely respected and revered as an organization, and that will probably never change.
Still, Ainge’s transition to Utah shows that, sometimes, people just need a change. After so many years, and countless decisions made, he felt like it was time to try something new and you can’t blame the guy for that.
The big question now is, what will his presence mean for the Jazz? Can they finally become a team that succeeds in the postseason?
