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NBA Playoffs: Round-Up

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PHILADELPHIA – Atlanta’s Kevin Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points, while charismatic and exciting point guard Trae Young added 21 points and 10 assists to lead the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks upset the host Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

The Hawks will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Atlanta’s John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and Clint Capela 13 for the Hawks, who reached the conference finals for the first time since 2015. The Hawks won three games at Philadelphia in this series.

Philly’s all-star center Joel Embiid led the top-seeded Sixers with 31 points and 11 rebounds yet committed eight turnovers. Sixers’ forward Tobias Harris added 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Seth Curry had 16 points and guard Ben Simmons contributed 13 assists.

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The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001 and Simmons was met with much criticism for not scoring nor taking shots in the crucial fourth quarter. Simmons attempted only one shot in the fourth quarter in the final six games of the series — a total of 43 minutes played — and passed up a certain game-tying layup with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 7 loss.

In Phoenix, Suns guard Devin Booker posted his first career triple-double Sunday afternoon, when he scored 40 points and collected 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Phoenix Suns defeated the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, 120-114, in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Booker scored 16 consecutive points for the Suns in the third quarter and 29 in the second half for second-seeded Phoenix, which was without All-Star point guard Chris Paul (health and safety protocols).

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points for Phoenix with nine rebounds while Mikal Bridges (14 points), Jae Crowder (13 points), Cameron Johnson (12 points) and Cameron Payne (11 points, nine assists) also got into double digits.

Reggie Jackson had 24 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 11 points off the bench for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard missed his third straight game with a right knee injury.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half, during which there were 18 lead changes and eight ties, before George (16 points) and Booker (18 points) put on a show in the third quarter, when they combined to score almost half the combined points generated by both teams.

While We’re Young (Ideas) – June 20

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – A very Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.

This column – when featured on Digital Sports Desk – has written about Father’s Day before. Memories of Father’s Days past, from the viewpoint of a son and that of a father, too. It was always bittersweet to write of the memories of my Dad, may he Rest in Peace.

Today, this column resurrects a memory, only two years back. It’s a memory of a simple day, of going out to CitiField and enjoying a Mets game with a buddy on a hot summer afternoon, soon to return to my family – including my two daughters – and a lovely Father’s Day dinner. It was just a wonderful, normal day.

Last year, while we all enjoyed Father’s Day together, it all seemed surreal, as we were still on the front end of the global pandemic, getting mixed messages from our government and no clear sign of relief and an end to the situation. There were clouds hanging over all aspects of normal life, but the sight of two daughters was comforting and was a sign of the future and hope. You could see it. The future would be bright because their future was bright. It was just a matter of time.

Being a “Girl Dad” has been the highlight of my life. Blessed are we who have not just one but two brilliant daughters who strive for high goals, who’ve excelled in their education, jobs and daily living. It’s so much fun to watch them grow and to experience just a few of the experiences they encounter throughout the years. I’m proud to be a “Girl Dad,” and look forward to so many great days ahead.

This column, however, is going to highlight another Dad, a friend of the NBA, Peter Fink. Peter is a “Swim Dad,” who watched his son, Nic, grow up to become a world class swimmer. Peter was always quiet and humble but when asked about Nic and his pursuit of a place on the United States Olympic Swim team, Peter would light up and tell us of the many meets and trials. Having attended four Summer Olympics myself, I knew of the grueling test of the swimmers and divers.

Nic earned a swimming scholarship to Georgia and – over the many years, so many meets, practices, disappointments measured at one-tenth of a second – this week, Nic qualified for the United States Olympic Swim team and he’ll be heading to Tokyo to compete as he earned his place in the 200m breaststroke.

Nic’s Dad is a superstar, too. We met when he was a dedicated worker in the NBA Special Events department. Talk about Tokyo? Nic’s Dad staged dozens of NBA Japan Games, USA Basketball friendlies, USA Basketball World Championships and hundreds of other events – and that’s just in Japan. He did the same in China, Australia, Europe, South America and hundreds of events in the United States and Canada. While Peter Fink was organizing events, Nic Fink was doing laps in the pool.

This week, it all came together, and this is a salute to a great Dad who witnessed his son grow to be a man while constantly chasing a dream of being and United States Olympian. Practice, perseverance, and all out dedication to the sport. No one can ever take the glorious title of Olympian away – ever.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While We’re Young (Ideas) has noted a considerable number of lists and “mosts” created by our friends at Sportico. This week, with the U.S. Open taking center-stage at Torrey Pines, Sportico released a list of the highest paid golfers of 2021. There was no surprise who was on top! Here’s the listing:

Highest Paid Golfers of 2021:

  1. Tiger Woods – $62.2m ($191,000 on course, $62m off course)
  2. Phil Mickelson $46.1m ($4.1m/$42m)
  3. Dustin Johnson $40.8m ($24.8/$16m)
  4. Rory McIlroy $32.8m ($4.8m/$28m)
  5. Jordan Spieth $29.6m ($4.6m/$25m)
  6. Justin Thomas $20.3m ($13.3/$7m)
  7. Bryson DeChambeau $17.9m ($8.9m/$9m)
  8. Xander Shauffele $17.3m ($10.3m/$7m)
  9. Jon Rahm $16.9m ($10.9m/$6m)
  10. Hideki Matsuyama $15.4m ($5.4m/$10m)

TRAVEL ON: While the U.S. Open gathers all the eye-balls this week, New England’s only PGA Tour event will be held this week in the ‘burbs of Hartford. The Travelers Championship announced its full player field for the 2021 tournament, which will feature five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, 25 of the top 50 and 10 previous winners of the event. The tournament will be held June 24–27 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Psst, don’t tell anyone: Past champion Bubba Watson looked good at the U.S. Open and LOVES the TPC River Highlands course.

HOOP, HOOP – HOO-RAY: The USA Basketball Men’s Olympic basketball team is beginning to take shape as a handful of NBA stars took it upon themselves to announce they were committing to play in Tokyo this summer. Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was the most recent to stake his claim to a place on the roster. Previously, Boston’s Jayson Tatum said he was planning to participate, along with Portland’s Damien Lillard, Washington’s Bradley Beal and Golden State’s Draymond Green. … On the nay side, LA Lakers star LeBron James and Miami’s Jimmy Butler both indicated they would pass on the opportunity this summer. Both have served USA Basketball in the past. James is a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist (Beijing and London) and also played with the 2006 USA world Championship team in Japan. … The five player commitments leave seven roster spots for the Tokyo Olympic team to play under the guidance of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. … Obviously, Team USA will need a few commitments from “bigs” who can grind and rebound against the large and physical international frontlines. The current USA roster lists the likes of Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Javale McGee, Mason Plumlee, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Myles Turner, Christian Wood and the injured Anthony Davis and LeMarcus Aldridge as viable big men for consideration. USA will also need a pair (or three) true – pass first – point guards.

Ball Named NBA Rookie of Year

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CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was named recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced. He is the third player to win the annual award with Charlotte, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).

Ball received 84 first-place votes and earned 465 total points from a global panel of 99 sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards received the other 15 first-place votes and finished in second place with 309 points. Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton finished in third place with 114 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.59 steals in 28.8 minutes in 51 games (31 starts), leading all rookies in assists and steals and ranking second in points and rebounds. He is the seventh rookie to average at least 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals in a season since steals became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season, joining Magic Johnson (1979-80), Penny Hardaway (1993-94), Steve Francis (1999-00), Chris Paul (2005-06), Michael Carter-Williams (2013-14) and Ben Simmons (2017-18). Ball was one of two NBA players to reach all four of those averages this season, along with Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.

On Jan. 9, Ball recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks at 19 years, 140 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double. In other standout performances, Ball posted a career-high 34 points, eight assists and zero turnovers against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5 in his third career start, and he had 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1. Despite missing 21 games with a wrist injury, Ball finished with the second-most assists (313) and third-most three-pointers made (92) by a rookie in Hornets history.

Ball was selected as the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the first three months of the season (December/January, February and March). He was also named to the U.S. Team for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars rosters.

Charlotte selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball played for the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League during the 2019-20 season, where he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

The Kia NBA Rookie of the Year trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders. Gottlieb coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1946-47 championship in the league’s first season.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
 
Player (Team) 1st Place Votes(5 Points) 2nd Place Votes(3 Points) 3rd Place Votes(1 Point) Total Points
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) 84 15 0 465
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) 15 75 9 309
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) 0 9 87 114
Saddiq Bey (Detroit) 0 0 3 3

2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Voting Results

Celtics Trade Walker; Begin to Rebuild

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics are reportedly trading guard Kemba Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft and a 2025 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for center-forward Al Horford, 7-2 center prospect Moses Brown and a second-round pick in 2023, according to ESPN.

The trade would be new Celtics head of basketball Operations Brad Stevens‘ first move as GM after he was recently promoted from his head coaching position.

Walker joined the Celtics in 2019, the same offseason Horford departed from Boston in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Horford played three prior seasons with the Celtics after beginning his career in Atlanta. The oft-injured Walker averaged 19.9 points and 4.8 assists in two seasons with the Celtics. His contract calls for payment of $34 million, $36m and $37m over the next three years.

Horford can be expected to provide veteran leadership in an otherwise youthful Celtics locker room and ease the team leadership role from that of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Horford’s NBA contract calls for $27.5 million, $27m and $26.5m in 2022-23, but only $14.5m of that amount is guaranteed in the final year.

In addition to re-shaping a chemistry-lacking roster, Stevens is also in search of the next Celtics head coach. In recent days, the NBA has experienced a drastic upheaval of head coaches with longtime head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and head of the NBA Coaches Association Rick Carlisle unexpectedly stepping down from the Mavericks Thursday. Carlisle played for the Celtics in the mid-1980s. In addition, Scott Brooks was unable to come to terms in Washington DC and Stan Van Gundy was relieved of his duties in New Orleans. Veteran coach Mike D’Antoni is available as are former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, former Indiana coach Nate Bjorkgren and former Orlando coach Steve Clifford.

NBA All-Rookie Teams

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NEW YORK – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were unanimously selected to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today.  Ball, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, and Edwards received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 99 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Joining Ball and Edwards (198 total points each) on the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team are Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (197 points; 98 First Team votes), Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey (162 points; 63 First Team votes) and Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (154 points; 57 First Team votes).

Ball led first-year NBA players in assists (6.1 apg) and steals (1.59 spg) and ranked second in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg).  He won the first three Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards.  Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, averaged a rookie-high 19.3 points per game.  He was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the final three months of the season.

Haliburton, who won the first two Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, ranked third among rookies in scoring (13.0 ppg) and second in assists (5.3 apg).  Bey, the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, made a rookie-leading 175 three-pointers and was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 8.  Tate, who was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds with the Rockets after playing last season for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League.

The 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (148 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (88), Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (71), Cleveland Cavaliers guard-forward Isaac Okoro (53) and Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (50).

The media voting panel selected five players for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and five players for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at any position.  Players received two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote.

The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team are below.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

 

2020-21 NBA ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes

(1 Point)

 Total

Points
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) 99 0 198
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) 99 0 198
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) 98 1 197
Saddiq Bey (Detroit) 63 36 162
Jae’Sean Tate (Houston) 57 40 154

 

2020-21 NBA ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes (1 Point) Total

Points
Immanuel Quickley (New York) 51 46 148
Desmond Bane (Memphis) 9 70 88
Isaiah Stewart (Detroit) 8 55 71
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland) 1 51 53
Patrick Williams (Chicago) 2 46 50

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team.

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES
 
Player (Team) First Team Votes

(2 Points)

 Second Team Votes (1 Point) Total

Points
Facundo Campazzo (Denver) 3 36 42
Cole Anthony (Orlando) 1 38 40
James Wiseman (Golden State) 3 18 24
Payton Pritchard (Boston) 0 20 20
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota) 1 13 15
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia) 0 9 9
Théo Maledon (Oklahoma City) 0 5 5
Xavier Tillman (Memphis) 0 4 4
KJ Martin (Houston) 0 3 3
Chuma Okeke (Orlando) 0 2 2
Devin Vassell (San Antonio) 0 1 1
Aleksej Pokuševski (Oklahoma City) 0 1 1

Utah’s Rudy Gobert, Sixers’ Ben Simmons Lead NBA All-Defensive Team

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NEW YORK – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons lead the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced. Both players received NBA All-Defensive First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 200 points each.

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Joining Gobert and Simmons on the NBA All-Defensive First Team are Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (176 points; 80 First Team votes) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (157 points; 65 First Team votes) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (135 points; 43 first Team votes).

Gobert, the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fifth season in a row. This marks the second straight First Team selection for Simmons, the runner-up for Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. Simmons helped the 76ers finish with the NBA’s second-best defensive rating in the regular season, one spot ahead of the Gobert-led Jazz.

Green has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time to go with two Second Team honors. Holiday is a First Team honoree for the second time. Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, has earned his third consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.

The 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (111 points) and guard Jimmy Butler (111), 76ers center Joel Embiid (87) and guard Matisse Thybulle (63), and LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (43).

Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the seventh time. This is the fifth NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Butler, the third for Embiid and the second for Adebayo. Thybulle is making his All-Defensive Team debut in his second NBA season.

The NBA All-Defensive Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes.

The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Team:

(Balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards).

2020-21 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
 
Position Player (Team) 1st Team Votes

(2 Points)

 2nd Team Votes

(1 Point)

 Total

Points

 Career All-Defensive Team Selections
Center Rudy Gobert (Utah) 100 0 200 5 (five 1st)
Guard Ben Simmons (Philadelphia) 100 0 200 2 (two 1st)
Forward Draymond Green (Golden State) 80 16 176 6 (four 1st, two 2nd)
Guard Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee) 65 27 157 3 (two 1st, one 2nd)
Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) 43 49 135 4 (three 1st, one 2nd)

 

2020-21 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
 
Position Player (Team) 1st Team Votes (2 Points) 2nd Team Votes (1 Point) Total

Points

 Career All-Defensive Team Selections
Forward Bam Adebayo (Miami) 37 37 111 2 (two 2nd)
Guard Jimmy Butler (Miami) 37 37 111 5 (five 2nd)
Center Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) 8 71 87 3 (three 2nd)
Guard Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia) 3 57 63 1 (one 2nd)
Forward Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) 8 27 43 7 (three 1st, four 2nd)

 

 

 

New York’s Thibs is NBA Coach of Year

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NEW YORK – New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was presented with the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced. It was the second NBA Coach of the Year Award for Thibodeau, who earned the honor in the 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls in his first season as an NBA head coach.

Now honored in his first season as the Knicks’ head coach, Thibodeau has become the first person to be named NBA Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach with two different franchises. (Cotton Fitzsimmons won the award in his first season as the Kansas City Kings’ head coach, 1978-79, and again in the first season of his second tenure as the Phoenix Suns’ head coach, 1988-89.)

Thibodeau received 43 first-place votes and earned 351 total points to edge Phoenix head coach Monty Williams, who finished in second place with 340 points (45 first-place votes). The 11-point difference between the first- and second-place finishers marks the smallest margin since the current NBA Coach of the Year voting format was introduced in the 2002-03 season. Williams had two more first place votes and 10 more victories than Thibodeau.

Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder finished in third place with 161 points (10 first-place votes). Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

With Thibodeau as head coach, New York finished tied for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference (41-31) and made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Knicks won 16 of their final 20 games to complete a turnaround from last season’s overall record of 21-45.

Shamrock ☘️ Shake-Up

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BOSTON – (Source: Official News Release) – Danny Ainge – the only Celtic in the team’s 74-year history to win championships both as a player and as a general manager – announced that he is retiring from his role as President of Basketball Operations. Brad Stevens, who has served as the team’s head coach for the last eight seasons, has been promoted to the team’s President of Basketball Operations. Ainge will continue to work with the team on transition planning through the upcoming off-season. A search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

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“Helping guide this organization has been the thrill of a lifetime, and having worked side-by-side with him since he’s been here, I know we couldn’t be in better hands than with Brad guiding the team going forward,” said Ainge. “I’m grateful to ownership, all of my Celtics colleagues, and the best fans in basketball for being part of the journey.”

“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. Red Auerbach told us Danny is ‘lucky,’ and he was right, but a lot of the luck came from his intense drive and his incredible basketball insights,” said Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics Co-Owner and Governor. “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.”

In his 18 years guiding the team, Ainge’s teams made 15 playoff appearances, seven Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and brought the team a championship in 2008, the franchise’s 17th and first in 22 years. Ainge was the first, and to this point, only general manager hired by the current Celtics ownership group, led by Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca. Since the 2007-08 season, the Celtics have won more playoff games than any team in the NBA.

“I have loved every day I have worked with Danny and we have really benefited from his relentless pursuit of excellence and high integrity approach to the game. Danny built a team that brought us our 17th championship, and leaves us with a great foundation of talent for us to build upon, including of course bringing Brad Stevens into the organization,” said Pagliuca, Celtics Co-Owner and Alternate Governor. “To replace someone of Danny’s stature, we know we need a great talent evaluator, a great leader, and a great communicator, and Brad possesses all of those qualities in abundance.”

Stevens was hired by Ainge in 2013, and has led the team to a 354-282 record, including seven consecutive playoffs and three Eastern Conference Finals appearances. Stevens joined the Celtics after coaching Butler University where he became the only coach in school history to lead a team to the NCAA Division I national championship game, which he did twice.

“I’m grateful to ownership and to Danny for trusting me with this opportunity,” said Stevens. “I’m excited to tackle this new role, starting with a wide ranging and comprehensive search for our next head coach. I love the Celtics, and know the great honor and responsibility that comes with this job. I will give it everything I have to help us be in position to consistently compete for championships.”

Ainge has overseen dozens of transactions, but his best-known roster moves include the off-season of 2007, which resulted in acquiring future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join with Celtics cornerstone Paul Pierce and Ainge drafted point guard Rajon Rondo. That group played in two NBA Finals in three years from 2008-2010.

In 2013, Ainge rapidly rebuilt the franchise in a series of moves, none more notable than trading Garnett and Pierce in a deal that netted lottery picks that were used to select current Celtics All Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That was also the summer Ainge and ownership hired Stevens.

New Sports Biz & Tech Innovation: NBA “Launch Pad”

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NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association recently announced a new start-up and innovation concept – NBA Launchpad, the league’s latest initiative to source, evaluate, and pilot emerging technologies that advance the NBA’s top basketball priorities across all levels of the game.

Starting June 1, companies and entrepreneurs can apply to NBA Launchpad by submitting innovations that address one of four priority areas: Elevating Health and Wellness in Youth Basketball, Enhancing Elite Youth Player Performance, Innovating Ankle Injury Prevention and Recovery, and Advancing Referee Training and Development.

“With NBA Launchpad, we can identify and support the next generation of innovative sports technology, continuing to advance our top basketball priorities and elevate our global game,” said Evan Wasch, Executive Vice President, Basketball Strategy & Analytics.

Following a rigorous evaluation process, selected applicants will participate in a six-month R&D pilot within the NBA’s platform of elite and grassroots programs. As part of NBA Launchpad, companies and entrepreneurs will receive access to NBA resources, hands-on support, and other unique incentives to develop the future of basketball-related technology.

NBA Launchpad is seeking submissions for innovations that address the following basketball priorities:

  • Elevating Health and Wellness in Youth Basketball

Promoting a healthier grassroots experience for millions of boys and girls is a critical priority for the Jr. NBA program – the NBA and WNBA’s global youth basketball participation program. Developed in partnership with USA Basketball, the Jr. NBA’s Youth Basketball Guidelines highlight the benefits of youth basketball participation and provide age-appropriate recommendations and guidelines to reduce the risk of injuries, fatigue, and burnout. The NBA is looking for additional innovations that assist players, parents, coaches, and administrators in promoting a healthier grassroots basketball experience.

  • Enhancing Elite Youth Player Performance

The NBA operates elite youth development programs domestically and around the world to identify and develop top basketball talent, including NBA G League Ignite, NBA Academies and Basketball Without Borders. To continue improving the quality of these programs, the NBA is searching for new products and services that enhance elite youth player performance. 

  • Innovating Ankle Injury Prevention and Recovery

Due to the prevalence of ankle sprains at all levels of the game and the negative impact on player health, availability, and performance, the NBA has undertaken a broad evaluation of ankle sprains, including publishing research, expanding data collection, and working with medical experts and key stakeholders to better understand and address these injuries. To supplement ongoing efforts, the NBA is seeking innovative approaches to further reduce the impact of ankle injuries.

  • Advancing Referee Training and Development

Officiating an NBA game takes years of preparation and training at the highest level. Every year, the NBA trains and evaluates thousands of amateur referees all over the world. To strengthen these current programs, the NBA is seeking technologies that enhance the training, development, and recruitment of referees.

NBA Accepts 353 Early Entry Filings

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NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association recently announced that 353 players — 296 players from colleges and other educational institutions and 57 international players — have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm.

Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Monday, July 19. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered NBA Draft 2021 must withdraw by Wednesday, July 7.