On Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics swallowed the pill of defeat as the Brooklyn Nets officially sent them home after a hard-played 4-1 playoff series. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 32 points, 5 assists, and 9 rebounds, but his heroics was ultimately not enough to combat the ferocity of the Nets’ big three — James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant.
Following the Celtics’ first-round exit, major changes have already started taking place in the organization. First and foremost, Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ longtime president of basketball operations, has announced his retirement on Wednesday. Having spent 18 years with the Celtics, 62-year-old Ainge is the third-longest-tenured active lead executive of any NBA franchise, following only the Miami Heat’s Pat Riley and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich.
According to ESPN, the beloved architect who built Boston’s last title team — the 2008 powerhouse that featured Rajon Rondo and Hall of Famers Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce — will be succeeded by the Celtics’ current head coach Brad Stevens, ultimately leaving a massive opening in the head coaching position.
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In a statement from the Celtics, Ainge says, “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. I’m grateful to ownership, all of my Celtics colleagues, and the best fans in basketball for being part of the journey.”
While Stevens has officially been given the presidential reigns, Ainge will reportedly stick around through the offseason to see the organization through the transition process and also help Stevens find a new head coach. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Celtics are reportedly eyeing both the Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd and the former Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce as candidates for the position.
With the team not even 24 hours removed from being knocked out of the playoffs, expect more information to come in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned to see what other big moves the Boston Celtics make during this crucial offseason.
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