NBA: Donnie Walsh decides to retire?
New York Knicks President Donnie Walsh denies the rumours that began to surface about his retirement. Speculations were being made that Donnie wants to step down because of the major disappointment he faced after LeBron James decided to join the Miami Heat and also because of his health problems.
Walsh also cleared a misunderstanding about his neck surgery. He said that that his neck surgery was not related to what happened two years ago when part of his tongue was removed due to cancer, but this time an operation had to be performed to remove a spur which was present on his vertebra.
The operation has landed the 69 year old man into a wheel chair temporarily, but he says he has not missed a single work day. He told several news sources that he plans on staying with the team as long as he can and has moved on after James decision and has new plans for the future.
Walsh said everyone in the team knew of his commitment towards them and he believes it is a hard job, yet he is extremely motivated to get his team back on track. The team is what keeps him going.
Walsh said yes they were disappointed by the fact they could not get a hold of James but that did not leave him tormented, the proof to that is he made a sign and trade deal sending their forward David Lee to the Golden State Warriors, and his team was quite content after obtaining a star player like Amar’e Stoudemire.
The New York Knicks president told the press that he wants to build an extremely competitive team in a short time drafting hard-working players, they intend on doing that by keeping a close eye on the free agency period in the following years.
When asked by the media on how long he plans on to stay with the Knicks, he responded by saying this was his third year with the team and has a year left with the contract but he has no intentions on opting out. Also he has not in any way felt until now that James Dolan wants him to leave, who is the Madison Square Garden Chairman.
The rumours contemplated that Donnie Walsh will be replaced by the recently fired Kevin Pritchard who was the general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers. Apparently Pritchard and Warren LeGarie who is the coach of Knicks have the same Agent.
When Walsh was asked about Kevin he declined the comment exclaiming, to his knowledge he has never spoken to either Warren LeGarie or Kevin Pritchard.
Soon after Isiah Thomas was replaced in mid-2008, Donnie came to the New York Knicks. The same year he had an operation on his tongue and was instructed to use a wheel chair. He kept the news from his family and the media. Despite his surgery he returned to the Knicks office showing great commitment.
Walsh further needs to go through another operation which requires his hip to be replaced but has not followed it through yet. He kept quiet about why he was in the wheel chair for a long time because he feared other teams might use it against him during the free agency depriving him of his position. Although now Walsh states that he is happy because it has not affected his work, he has attended all the presentations and staff meetings.
Landing LeBron might have been their main target followed by Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but since they could not acquire any of them, they drafted another All-Star power forward Amar’e Stoudemire who they are hoping will take their team through the playoffs next year.
Donnie Walsh strongly believes that Stoudemire, will turn the team around and show them some light.
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