For years, people considered Danny Ainge to be one of the savviest GMs in the NBA. He orchestrated several major moves and allowed the Boston Celtics to rebuild while staying competitive.
Others felt like Ainge was just too enamored with his draft picks and didnāt make the most of his leverage to take another star to the TD Garden. Whatever is the case, his tenure was more of a success than a failure as they have one of the best young cores in the league.
But now that Ainge is months removed fromhis position and decided to become the Utah Jazzās CEO and alternate governor, it doesnāt seem like he was all too comfortable at Massachusetts.
Danny Ainge Says He Needed A Break From Boston
āI needed a break from Boston,ā Ainge said in his press conference, as quoted by NBC Sports. āAnd by the way, my 26 years in Boston were an amazing experience. Iāll always be grateful. One of the greatest things Iāve learned in this business was the relationships you build. Championship rings are our goals, and thatās 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.ā
āIāve taken six or seven months off, and Iāve gotten a good break,ā Ainge added. āI feel like Iām 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 theyāre doing. Iām anxious to get back and get to work.ā
I mean, it happens, so maybe Celtics fans should take this with a grain of salt. Also, itās not like Brad Stevens has done a bad job in his first season as GM. But maybe, thatās not what you want to hear from a team legend.





