Celtics

‘There was a possibility I would step away forever’: Why Danny Ainge joined the Jazz after leaving the Celtics

"If you have D.A. sitting 20 minutes away in Utah, you put him to work, right?"

By Tom Westerholm

December 15, 2021

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A little more than six months before he was named CEO of the Jazz, Danny Ainge sat at a podium with Brad Stevens and told reporters why he was finished as president of basketball operations with the Celtics.

“I don’t know what my future holds,” Ainge said at the time. “I don’t have any plans right now. My goal is to get Brad up to speed on the draft … our whole staff will be able to help and try to make this transition, and [put the Celtics in] as good a place as we can be. And I’ll think about the future somewhere in the future.”

The future, it seems, came relatively quickly. Still, Ainge — who spoke to the media on Wednesday — said he considered stepping away permanently.

“I didn’t have an idea, but there was a possibility I would step away forever.,” Ainge said. “My wife and I had discussed it a few times, and I had looked at other opportunities outside of basketball.”

Ainge added that he needed a “break” from Boston, although he later clarified that he loved his time with the Celtics.

“Heck, I was working with my son,” Ainge said. “That was a blast, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity maybe. I really appreciated that. And ownership was great, and my staff was great. That had nothing to do with it. 

“As a lot of people through the pandemic, the NBA has seemed like it has gone two years in one year and it has been a heavy load, and I just felt like I needed to get away.”

Still, Ainge said he started getting the itch to return two weeks ago. Jazz majority owner Ryan Smith, who has long been friends with Ainge, convinced his golfing buddy to join the franchise in an official capacity on a recent trip to the Bahamas.

“If you have D.A. sitting 20 minutes away in Utah, you put him to work, right?” Smith told ESPN. “Everyone has always asked, ‘Is this the plan?’ Well, it definitely wasn’t Danny’s plan until last week.”

A week ago, Ainge made an appearance at The Tradition, presenting his friend Kevin McHale to be honored. He told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg he would be open to the right opportunity if it presented itself.

“It was a grind for 18 years,” he told reporters when asked if he misses being president of basketball operations. “But I do love the game still. I watch the game a lot.”

Ainge will work closely with ownership, as well as Jazz GM Justin Zanik — who will run day-to-day operations.

“We’re in a position of strength to move to another position of strength,” Smith told ESPN. “We’ll be able to have this role be a little different than maybe some in the past. With everything that Quin’s doing with the team, it’s actually a really good spot. … I think it gives Danny a unique opportunity to come in and just help. I think Danny’s at a point in his career where he just wants to elevate people.”