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Shop=20 =BB
En Espa=F1ol =

Source: Walsh will leave Indy after season to = work for=20 NYK

ESPN.com news services

Updated: March 24, 2008, = 11:17 PM ET

Comment=
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana = Pacers chief=20 executive Donnie Walsh will leave the team after this season and a = source told=20 ESPN late Monday that he will land with the New York = Knicks.

Walsh is expected to sign a three-year, $15 million contract with New = York at=20 the end of this season to oversee their basketball operations division. = The=20 source did not know what would become of current Knicks president of = basketball=20 operations and head coach Isiah Thomas once Walsh joined the Knicks.

Walsh only said Monday he will finish the season with Indiana and = will not=20 comment on his plans. Pacers team president Larry Bird will take over = many of=20 Walsh's duties.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

The final year of Donnie Walsh's 24 with the Pacers = has been=20 rife with off-court turmoil.

"I'm completing what was my dream job," the 67-year-old Walsh said at = a news=20 conference on Monday afternoon. "I have loved every single moment of = this job,=20 including the last few years when things have been more difficult."

It was reported last week that Walsh had discussions with the Knicks = about=20 possibly replacing Thomas as team president.

"As far as what I'm going to do, I'm not sure," Walsh said. "As a = result, I'm=20 not going to comment on it until I have a better idea."

Reached Monday, Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said the Knicks = would=20 not comment on Walsh's departure. Walsh's agent, Steve Kaufman, said he = would=20 not comment on his client's employment status until after the NBA = season.

In New York, Thomas wouldn't comment on speculation that Walsh could = replace=20 him, but he praised his former boss with the Pacers.

"He's had a great career, he's one of the best who's ever done it," = Thomas=20 said before the Knicks lost to New Jersey to fall to 19-51 on the = season. "I=20 wish him great success and he's someone that I respect tremendously. He = gave me=20 my first coaching job and I truly do like him as a person and he's done = a lot=20 for the game."

Walsh said Monday at team headquarters the time is right to go and he = has=20 enjoyed his 24 years with the club. That includes the past few years, = when the=20 team has dealt with a series of legal problems involving players.

Walsh said the announcement should not come as a surprise, since he = has said=20 previously this would be his last season.

Walsh, who joined the Pacers as an assistant coach in 1984, became = general=20 manager in 1986 and president two years later. He hired Bird as coach in = 1997,=20 and after Bird moved into the front office three years later, Walsh = groomed him=20 as his eventual successor.

As president of basketball operations, Bird has shared many of the = day-to-day=20 operations with Walsh in recent years, a division of authority that has = often=20 led to confusion in dealing with other teams, Walsh said.

"My real reason is, I think I've been here too long," he said. "It's = not=20 healthy for the franchise.

"I started thinking that the last two or three years. But you also = want to=20 see things get better," he said.

Earlier this month, Pacers co-owner Herb Simon made it clear that = there would=20 be some sort of upheaval within the organization by season's end, saying = "everything but the owner" would be addressed.

The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals six times and won = the=20 Central Division four times under Walsh. They made the NBA Finals in = 2000, when=20 they lost to the Los=20 Angeles Lakers, and had the league's best record in 2004 before the=20 franchise began unraveling.

"It was a joy to spend time in Indiana under his leadership. Great = man and a=20 great basketball mind," said Mark Jackson, who played on the Pacers' = finals=20 team. "Sad to see, being a member of the Pacers and knowing what he = means to=20 that organization and that community, but at the same time I wish him = nothing=20 but the very best because like I said, he's a great man and a great = basketball=20 mind. He's the best in the business."

Starting with the brawl involving Indiana players and Detroit = Pistons=20 fans, the past three seasons have been littered with losing records, = personnel=20 changes and off-court issues that have damaged the team's once-shiny=20 reputation.

Former Pacer Ste= phen=20 Jackson pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness for firing gunshots = in the=20 air during a 2006 fight at a strip club; this year, Pacers guard Jam= aal=20 Tinsley and several companions were targeted in a shooting that = wounded the=20 team's equipment manager outside a downtown hotel. And Tinsley and Mar= quis=20 Daniels recently cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid trial on = charges in a=20 separate fight at a nightclub.

Recently, a murder suspect was arrested after he had been at the home = of=20 Pacers forward Sha= wne=20 Williams and a rape was reported at another player's home. Neither = player=20 was charged.

This season, Indiana has the NBA's worst attendance, and despite a = current=20 four-game winning streak, the Pacers (29-41) are still a game and a half = behind=20 Atlanta for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

"Everyone was getting confused," Simon said of the reason for = announcing=20 Walsh's decision now, rather than the end of the season. "There were = lots of=20 rumors. Once I was convinced Donnie was really leaving, I thought it was = best to=20 let everyone else know."

Walsh mentioned the possibility of retirement several times last = season, when=20 the Pacers went 35-47 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a=20 decade.

"I really don't think this should come as a surprise," he said. "I = said this=20 would be my last year, and now I'm completing what has been my dream = job."

And now it's Bird's.

"Now it's one voice; it's mine," Bird said. "Pressure is pressure. = I've dealt=20 with it in the past, and I'm looking forward to it."

Information from Andrew Marchand of 1050 ESPN Radio in New York = and The=20 Associated Press was used in this report.

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