Skip to main content

Danny Ainge: Hard nosed as player and GM

By


      Danny Ainge the player could be described as hard nosed, brash, a pest that infuriated his opponents. He was also a legit three point threat and could he score! He was tough as hell, willing to go up against guys like Jordan and get in heated exchanges as he did in 93. Danny Ainge the executive could be described as shrewd, intelligent, probably brash! It got to the point where no GM wanted to trade with Danny in fear he would make them look like a fool. 

     Ainge was a three sport athlete playing baseball, football and you guessed basketball. He played three years of professional baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays. You could say his toughness on the court came from playing football. He won two titles with the Boston Celtics in 84 and 86. During one of his seasons in Bean town he had career highs in three point and free throw percentage. Danny made the All Star team in 1988. 

     In 89 Danny was traded to the Kings for Ed Pinckney and Joe Kleine. For some Celtics fans it was incredibly disappointing to see him get traded away. During his season with the Kings he averaged 20 points a game and even matched his career high of 45 points in a game. Following playing with the Kings Danny went home to Portland to be with the Blazers and was part of a team that went to the NBA Finals in 1992. Let's just say Danny didn't back down from anyone. Coming up clutch for the Blazers despite getting beat by the Bulls. 

      After leaving the Blazers he joined the Phoenix Suns where once again he found himself in the NBA Finals against the Bulls. Danny came up big for the Suns but it wasn't enough - as you know they lost to the Bulls. As part of the Suns he eclipsed 900 made three point shots which is very impressive. Following his playing career Danny has a short stint as the Suns head coach but left after a few years citing wanting to spend more time with his family. 

     In 2003 Danny finally returned home to the Celtics in an executive role. In 2008 it lead to him being Executive of  theYear. As a GM Danny in his brilliance was able to bring in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the same off season to play with Paul Pierce and we all know the rest was history as the Celtics secured Banner 17. What's even more amazing about Danny is that as GM, when both KG and the Truth were long in the tooth, he traded them away which eventually led to drafting both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Due to Danny always winning his trades very few GMs we're willing to deal with him in fear of looking foolish. 

     Danny the actor was in Space Jam in 96! Danny was a tough, no fear player who was a killer shooter. As GM you could say the same. Danny's legacy will go down as a winner. It's just too bad he was only able to secure one ring as GM. Do you remember the headline Tree Bites Man?! Well in a game Danny decided to call Tree Rollins a sissy and we'll, they began to tussle and Tree bit Danny in anger. Talk about getting under the opponents skin. Gotta love it. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

By
 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.) and Off. Steven Bezanson (Ret.) Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on four occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts 2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 3.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the stage is often set for true horror. Such was the case with triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante . As a 16-year old , he quickly transitioned from: Minor thefts and breaking into homes To: Taunting and threatening a father and
8 comments
Read more

Sign the Petition! Let's honor Tommy Heinsohn

By
  No longtime Celtics fan can watch games this year without a somewhat heavy heart. For the last 50 plus years, we have been blessed as a franchise to have Tommy Heinsohn, Mr. Celtic himself, as a part of the organization. Whether it be as a player, coach, or commentator, Tommy has been an instrumental figure for the green, and his presence is missed on every broadcast. Nobody embodied what it meant to be a Celtic more than Tommy, and I know I miss his energy and ferocity every time Scal claims the refs "made the right call" against the Cs. While Tommy obviously belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics, he is often overlooked in his place among the greats of NBA history. Looking back upon his life, one would be hard pressed to find someone with a bigger impact on NBA basketball than Mr. Celtic. For those who are unfamiliar, let's do a quick review. Tommy is one of 2 people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach (the other being the indomitable Len
1 comment
Read more

Using trade exception to acquire Aaron Gordon needs consideration

By
The Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon was taken fourth-overall in the 2014 NBA draft, two spots before Boston picked Marcus Smart at #6. I felt at the time that Danny Ainge would have taken Gordon with the sixth pick if the 6'8" power forward was still on the board. Well now, with a $28.5 million trade exception in his hands, it may be time to consider adding the super-athletic wing. Here's why: Brad Stevens feels you can't have enough mid-sized wings Brad Stevens does not favor the "little guys" because they often get mis-matched on defense by taller opponents. He also is not fond of the old-school, big centers. In his mind, they just can't be effective on his switching, perimeter defensive strategies. Gordon's salary fits the trade exception Aaron is set to earn $18.1 million this season and $16.4 million in the 2021-22 season. His salary was front-loaded, and that relatively-low $16.1 million figure kicks in when Jayson Tatum's max contract goes
4 comments
Read more