In today’s NBA, it might raise a few eyebrows for a player to be excited about being dealt from the Boston Celtics to the Sacramento Kings given their long history of mediocrity and dysfunction.
And even in Celtics team president Danny Ainge’s heyday as a player, it might have seemed strange given he was dealt to the California franchise in 1989, not even two seasons removed from Boston’s last NBA Finals appearance in 1987.
But the writing was on the wall for those with eyes to see it, and Ainge by all accounts was one such person as the 1980s drew to a close.
Danny Ainge had quite a basketball journey — when he wasn’t with the Celtics https://t.co/CJnDr8uEMJ
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) May 17, 2020
Injuries to Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and the loss of Len Bias signaled tough times ahead, and the Oregon native was in no mood to play out the best remaining years of his career on a rebuilding squad.
“I just felt our team after the ’87 season was just not the same,” related Ainge to the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. ” … and I didn’t feel like the Celtics were going to be contender any time soon.”
Then, a pair of Celtics icons no longer with the team conferred and the seed of a trade was planted. Former Boston legend Bill Russell — now the GM of the Kings — spoke with former teammate and coach of Ainge K.C. Jones.
More than 4 decades later, Bill Russell finally accepts his Hall of Fame ring https://t.co/63EriTGTnP
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 15, 2019
Soon after, plans were laid that eventually became the deal sending the Brigham Young product to Sacramento along with Brad Lohaus for Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney.
“I think it made a lot of sense and I was excited about it,” offered Ainge. “Bill Russell was my general manager and he had talked with his good friend K.C. Jones about me. I was excited to go to Sacramento and after that first year, there was a lot to look forward to in that franchise.”
Russell had only known success as a player and a player-coach, and had quietly been a force behind the scenes in guiding renowned team president Red Auerbach make draft decisions, so there was little reason to doubt Russell’s acumen as an executive.
WATCH: How the Boston Celtics hired Danny Ainge as team president https://t.co/YEcoiWFSuY via @thecelticswire
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 9, 2020
But then, little could have been foreseen about what had gone sideways; a player — Ricky Berry — tragically took his own life. Pervis Ellison, the team’s No. 1 overall pick that summer’s draft, spent 48 games of his rookie season out injured, earning him the moniker “Out of Service Pervis” from Ainge.
The team would end up winning just 23 games.
The now-team president would eventually be dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers to avoid shackling the then-31-year-old guard to a rebuilding team, and he’d go on to have several more deep runs with the Blazers and later Phoenix Suns.
And while the Kings have continued their dysfunctional ways right up to the present day — as strange as it may sound — there really was a time when it sounded like a smart move to move to Sacramento.
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