Danny Ainge
Ainge during the Celtics' championship parade in 2008
Utah Jazz
PositionCEO of basketball operations / alternate governor
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1959-03-17) March 17, 1959
Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolNorth Eugene (Eugene, Oregon)
CollegeBYU (1977–1981)
NBA draft1981: 2nd round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career1981–1995
PositionShooting guard
Number44, 7, 9, 22
Coaching career1996–1999
Career history
As player:
1981–1989Boston Celtics
1989–1990Sacramento Kings
1990–1992Portland Trail Blazers
1992–1995Phoenix Suns
As coach:
1996Phoenix Suns (assistant)
1996–1999Phoenix Suns
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As executive:

Career NBA statistics
Points11,964 (11.5 ppg)
Assists4,199 (4.0 apg)
Steals1,133 (1.1 spg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Danny Ainge
Second baseman / Third baseman
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 21, 1979, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Last MLB appearance
September 22, 1981, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
Batting average.220
Home runs2
Runs batted in37
Teams

Daniel Ray Ainge (/ˈeɪndʒ/ AYNJ;[1] born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his 18-year career as general manager for the Celtics, he was known for making bold moves to help the team rebuild, clearing cap space and tanking for picks. Ainge served as the Celtics' president of basketball operations from 2003 until his retirement in 2021, when he was succeeded by incumbent head coach Brad Stevens (whom he had hired in 2014).

A three-sport star in high school, he was named to All-America teams in football, basketball, and baseball. At Brigham Young University, he was named national basketball college player of the year and won the John R. Wooden Award for the most outstanding male college basketball player. While in college, Ainge also played parts of three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB), mostly as a second baseman. He was then drafted into the NBA by the Celtics. Ainge played in the NBA for 14 seasons, playing for the Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns, primarily as a shooting guard. He went on to coach the Suns for three seasons before joining management of the Celtics, with whom Ainge has three NBA championships to his credit (two as a player, one as a team executive). During his playing career he appeared in the 1988 All-Star Game, and was the NBA Executive of the Year in 2008.

Early life

Ainge as a freshman at BYU (1978–79)

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Ainge was a multi-sport star at North Eugene High School. He led the Highlanders' basketball team to consecutive AAA state titles in 1976 and 1977,[2][3] earning all-state honors both years, and was considered one of the top football recruits in Oregon at wide receiver.[4] As a junior, he was named to the 1977 Parade High School All-America team, and is the only one to be a high school first team All-American in football, basketball, and baseball.[5]

College career

Ainge played college basketball at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. He hit one of the best-known shots in the 1981 NCAA tournament, against Notre Dame in Atlanta in the Sweet Sixteen, when his coast-to-coast drive and lay-up with two seconds remaining gave the Cougars a one-point win.[6][7][8] Ainge concluded his senior year by winning the Eastman Award, as well as the John R. Wooden Award—given to the best collegiate player in the nation. During his four-year career at BYU, Ainge was an All-American, a two-time First Team Academic All-American, the WAC Player of the Year and a four-time All-WAC selection. He concluded his college career having scored in double figures in 112 consecutive games, an NCAA record at that time.

Baseball career

Toronto Blue Jays (1979–1981)

Ainge was selected in baseball's 1977 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He made it to the major leagues with the Blue Jays in 1979 while still in college. Mostly a second baseman, he played third base and outfield positions as well, hitting .220 in his baseball career with two home runs and 146 hits in 211 games. He is the second-youngest player in Blue Jays history to hit a home run, at 20 years and 77 days, surpassed only by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

After three years with the Blue Jays, Ainge decided to pursue a career in basketball and was chosen in the second round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, who had to buy out Ainge's contract from the Blue Jays after a legal battle.

Ainge is among the 13 athletes who have played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, along with Frank Baumholtz, Hank Biasatti, Gene Conley, Chuck Connors, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Groat, Steve Hamilton, Mark Hendrickson, Cotton Nash, Ron Reed, Dick Ricketts, and Howie Schultz.[9]

Basketball career

Boston Celtics (1981–1989)

Not everything went well for Ainge in NBA basketball at first. He had a terrible first day of practice, "shooting 0–2,547", Larry Bird wrote in his autobiography Drive: The Story of My Life. Celtics head coach Bill Fitch gave Ainge a rough time, saying his batting average was better than his shooting percentage on the basketball court. But Ainge became an important player for the Celtics teams that won NBA titles in 1984 and 1986.

Ainge played sparingly during his rookie season (1981–82), but broke into the starting lineup in his second year, averaging 9.9 points per game. However, new coach K.C. Jones moved Ainge back to the bench in his third season (1983–84), starting Gerald Henderson instead. Ainge remained an important role player off the bench, helping the Celtics defeat the rival Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals that year. The Celtics traded Henderson to Seattle in the off-season, returning Ainge to the starting guard position opposite Dennis Johnson. Ainge responded by averaging 12.9 points and 5.3 assists per game in 1984–85. He remained a starter for the Celtics for most of the next five seasons. The Celtics won the championship again in 1985–86; that team is widely considered to be one of the greatest in NBA history. In 1986–87, Ainge finished second in the NBA in free throw shooting (89.7%) and third in 3-point shooting (44.3%). The following year, he made 148 3-pointers, shattering the previous NBA single-season record of 92 held by Darrell Griffith of the Utah Jazz. Ainge made his only appearance in the NBA All-Star Game that year, scoring 12 points.

Sacramento Kings (1989–1990)

In 1989, Ainge was traded to the Sacramento Kings, along with Brad Lohaus, for young center Joe Kleine (whom the Celtics saw as a possible successor to the aging Robert Parish) and Ed Pinckney. Now a featured player on a team with no superstars, Ainge averaged 20.3 points and 6.7 assists per game in that half-season with the Kings. He scored 45 points for the Kings in a loss to the Golden State Warriors, matching a career high that he had set just a few months prior against the Philadelphia 76ers while still playing for the Celtics at that time.

Portland Trail Blazers (1990–1992)

In 1990, Ainge was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Byron Irvin and draft picks. Being a native of Oregon, he was considered a hometown favorite by Blazers fans. On May 5, 1992, Ainge played an important role in the highest scoring NBA postseason game of all time, scoring 25 points and hitting multiple key shots during a 155–153 double overtime win over the Phoenix Suns.[10] The win gave the Blazers a three games to one game lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. Ainge would go on to help the Blazers reach the 1992 NBA Finals, only to succumb to the Chicago Bulls in six games. On June 5, he scored nine points in the extra period to tie an all-time NBA record for most points in an overtime during a finals game.

Phoenix Suns (1992–1995)

After the 1991–92 season, Ainge became a free agent. He had stated in media interviews that he ideally wanted to stay in Portland and would contact Blazers management before seriously entertaining offers from other teams. On July 1, 1992, however, Ainge signed a contract with the Phoenix Suns on his first day of free agency. Ainge averaged 11.8 points per game as the Suns went 62–20 that year and reached the NBA finals, where they lost to Michael Jordan's Bulls in six games.

On January 18, 1994, he became the second man ever to hit 900 three-point shots in NBA history (he made 1,002 three-pointers for his career), and he scored 11,964 points for an average of 11.5 points per game, 2,768 rebounds for an average of 2.7, and 4,199 assists, an average of four per game, over 1,042 NBA games.

Ainge retired after the 1994–95 season. At the time of his retirement, he had the highest personal winning percentage in NBA history among players with at least 1,000 career games, edging out Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 69.0% to 68.8%. Ainge was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Reputation

Throughout his playing career, Ainge was known as a brash, hard-nosed player who often infuriated his teammates by being a ball hog. In a 1983 playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks, he called 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) Tree Rollins a "sissy", whereupon Rollins elbowed Ainge in the face. Ainge tackled Rollins and the two began wrestling. Rollins bit Ainge's middle finger so hard that it required two stitches to keep the tendon together. Ainge was ejected from the contest for starting the fight. The incident prompted the headline "Tree Bites Man" on the April 25, 1983, Boston Herald.[11] While playing for the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 season, Ainge got into a tussle with Michael Jordan at midcourt; both were given a technical foul. In a 1994 postseason game, Ainge rifled an inbounding pass at the head of Houston Rockets guard Mario Elie, striking him in the face, snapping his neck back.[12][13][14]

Coaching career

Ainge rejoined the Phoenix Suns as an assistant to head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons in May 1996.[15] On November 14, 1996, Fitzsimmons retired after the Suns started the season with an 0–8 record and Ainge was appointed as his replacement.[15]

On December 14, 1999, Ainge resigned as head coach of the Suns; he cited a need to spend more time with his family. He had accumulated a 136–90 record during his stint as head coach. Ainge was replaced by assistant coach Scott Skiles.[16]

Executive career

Boston Celtics executive

In 2003, he was hired as the executive director of Basketball Operations for the Celtics. Ainge has often been controversial in his role as a Celtics executive, trading popular players such as three-time All-Star Antoine Walker (earning himself the nickname "Trader Danny") and having personality conflicts with then-head coach Jim O'Brien (which eventually led to O'Brien's departure to the Philadelphia 76ers). However, Ainge kept the support of both the Celtics' ownership group and—perhaps most importantly—legendary former head coach Red Auerbach, who was employed by the team as a "senior assistant" until his death in October 2006.

The 2006–07 Celtics finished with a 24–58 record, second-worst in the team's history. Following the season, Paul Pierce, team captain and face of the franchise, expressed frustration with the team's failures. He requested a trade to a contender if management were unable to acquire veteran talent of Pierce's caliber.[17]

Ainge responded with two bold moves that changed the franchise's fortunes almost overnight: the 2007 trades for the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett and the Seattle SuperSonics' Ray Allen immediately returned the Celtics to the ranks of the NBA's elite franchises for the first time since the early 1990s. Together with Pierce, they formed a new "Big Three" and led the Celtics to the NBA's best record (66–16) during the 2007–08 season. It was the most dramatic single-season improvement in league history (42 wins more than the previous year), and it earned Ainge the NBA Executive of the Year Award.

Boston faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, renewing the long rivalry between the two teams. The Celtics won the series in six games, giving the franchise its 17th NBA championship. Danny Ainge held the trophy for the first time since winning in 1986. In October 2008, after the Celtics' championship season, he was promoted to President of Basketball Operations.[18]

On May 3, 2010, Ainge was fined $25K for tossing a towel to distract then Cleveland Cavaliers forward JJ Hickson shooting a free throw during game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.[19]

In 2013, Ainge traded Garnett and Pierce, along with Jason Terry and D.J. White, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for five players plus the Nets' first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018.[20] Boston also received the rights to swap picks with Brooklyn in 2017.[21] It is widely considered one of the most lopsided trades in league history, in favor of the Celtics.[22]

On August 22, 2017, Ainge made another blockbuster deal, trading All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, as well as Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić and the rights to the Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for All-Star Kyrie Irving.[23] Eight days later, the deal also included a 2020 second round pick from the Miami Heat as compensation relating to a prior injury to Thomas.[24]

On June 2, 2021, Ainge announced his retirement and named head coach Brad Stevens as his replacement in president of basketball operations role.[25]

Utah Jazz executive

On December 15, 2021, Ainge was hired as the CEO of basketball operations and alternate governor of the Utah Jazz.[26]

His first transaction was hiring the new head coach Will Hardy after Quin Snyder announced his resignation as head coach. In the 2022 NBA offseason, he traded Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. In return of these two majors trades, he received Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton (via sign-and-trade), Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, rights to the 14th and the 22nd picks (Ochai Agbaji and Walker Kessler) respectively, 7 first round picks and 4 first round pick swaps. His third move was the 2023 trade deadline a major trade to clear cap space he traded Mike Conley to Minnesota, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Lakers. In return the Jazz received Russell Westbrook (who later buyout the contract to sign with the Clippers), Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a 2027 first round pick. He also signed young prospects Kris Dunn, Luka Samanic and Vernon Carey Jr.[27]

The post Mitchell/Gobert trade was successful for the team as Lauri Markkanen had a breakout season and was named the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player.[28]

Other pursuits

In 1996, Danny Ainge made his acting debut in Space Jam, playing himself. While only a brief appearance, Ainge was dubbed "The Bad Shot Guy" after catching and shooting the ball at the same time while Charles Barkley roamed the court after having his skills stolen by the Monstars.

While a player with the Suns, Ainge opened a national chain of hat stores which he has since sold.[29] He has volunteered at a number of charitable organizations. Ainge also served as a commentator for the NBA on TNT.

Personal life

Ainge and his wife, Michelle, reside in Wellesley, Massachusetts; they have six children (Ashlee, Austin, Tanner, Taylor, Cooper and Crew). Austin Ainge is director of player personnel for the Boston Celtics[30] and like his father, played basketball at BYU. Tanner Ainge is a Utah County Commissioner, businessman, and lawyer.

Ainge's nephew, Erik Ainge, was the starting quarterback on the football team at the University of Tennessee[31] and was selected by the New York Jets in the 5th round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Another nephew, Jake Toolson, played the shooting guard position for BYU and recently signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Utah Jazz.[32]

Ainge and his family are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which Ainge served as a bishop.

Ainge had a mild heart attack in 2009,[33] and another in 2019.[34] He has ADHD, according to a personality test he took when Doc Rivers was coaching the Celtics.[35]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1981–82 Boston 53110.6.357.294.8621.11.60.70.14.1
1982–83 Boston 807625.6.496.172.7422.73.11.40.19.9
1983–84† Boston 71316.3.460.273.8211.62.30.60.15.4
1984–85 Boston 757334.2.529.268.8683.65.31.60.112.9
1985–86† Boston 807830.1.504.356.9042.95.11.20.110.7
1986–87 Boston 716635.2.486.443.8973.45.61.40.214.8
1987–88 Boston 818137.3.491.415.8783.16.21.40.215.7
1988–89 Boston 452830.0.460.374.8913.44.81.20.015.9
1988–89 Sacramento 282636.7.452.387.8133.66.71.50.320.3
1989–90 Sacramento 756836.4.438.374.8314.36.01.50.217.9
1990–91 Portland 80021.4.472.406.8262.63.60.80.211.1
1991–92 Portland 81619.7.442.339.8241.82.50.90.29.7
1992–93 Phoenix 80027.0.462.403.8482.73.30.90.111.8
1993–94 Phoenix 68122.9.417.328.8301.92.60.80.18.9
1994–95 Phoenix 74118.6.460.364.8081.52.80.60.17.7
Career[36] 104250826.6.469.378.8462.74.01.10.111.5
All-Star 1019.0.364.750.5003.02.01.00.012.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1982 Boston 10012.9.422.500.7691.31.10.20.15.0
1983 Boston 7728.7.389.400.7272.03.60.70.19.4
1984† Boston 19013.3.456.222.7000.82.00.50.14.8
1985 Boston 212132.7.466.438.7692.85.81.50.011.0
1986† Boston 181836.2.554.412.8674.25.22.30.115.6
1987 Boston 201938.1.487.438.8612.64.61.20.214.8
1988 Boston 171739.4.386.328.8813.16.40.50.111.6
1991 Portland 16017.3.448.306.8211.81.90.80.28.0
1992 Portland 21021.4.479.404.8301.92.30.70.010.6
1993 Phoenix 24024.6.376.413.8722.52.30.50.18.1
1994 Phoenix 10023.0.458.425.7142.32.10.60.18.6
1995 Phoenix 10013.7.500.462.9091.01.00.50.06.0
Career[36] 1938226.1.456.397.8292.33.40.90.19.9

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Phoenix 1996–97 744034.5414th in Pacific523.400 Lost in First Round
Phoenix 1997–98 825626.6833rd in Pacific413.250 Lost in First Round
Phoenix 1998–99 502723.5403rd in Pacific303.000 Lost in First Round
Phoenix 1999–2000 20137.650(resigned)———— –
Career 22613690.6021239.250

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jares, Joe. "A double Danny dandy," Sports Illustrated, January 29, 1979. Retrieved December 24, 2020
  2. ↑ Kayfes, Dave (March 14, 1976). "North makes it final, 52–39". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  3. ↑ Kayfes, Dave (March 13, 1977). "Highlanders seal Grant's tomb, 56–45". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
  4. ↑ Kayfes, Dave (June 3, 1976). "Dan Ainge was Highlanders' man for all seasons". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 5C.
  5. ↑ "The Many Names of Danny Ainge". Brigham Young University. Retrieved March 28, 2023. Disdain for Ainge and the annoying fact that his teams kept winning started building in high school as he led his basketball team to back-to-back Oregon state championships. Naturally, opposing teams found it hard to like the only high school athlete ever to be named a first-team All-American in football, baseball, and basketball.
  6. ↑ "BYU cancels Irish luck". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 20, 1981. p. 38.
  7. ↑ "Danny leaves Irish eyes crying". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. March 20, 1981. p. 1B.
  8. ↑ Rock, Brad (March 20, 1981). "Ainge's mad dash sets up BYU-Cavs". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. D1.
  9. ↑ "Baseball and Basketball (NBA) Players". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  10. ↑ Trail Blazers' Win One for the Books : NBA: Portland's 153-151 victory over Phoenix is highest-scoring playoff game ever
  11. ↑ "'Tree Bites Man' Entered Basketball Lexicon 29 Years Ago Tuesday When Tree Rollins Bit Danny Ainge". April 24, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Basketball Suns Ainge is Fined $5,000 by NBA". The New York Times. May 18, 1995. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
  13. ↑ Ainge vs Mario Ellie (1994 West Semis) – Danny doesn't forget (by Sole Records). August 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2016 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ Danny Ainge Hits Mario Ellie RIGHT IN THE FACE!!! BOOOOOM. August 16, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2016 – via YouTube.
  15. 1 2 "Fitzsimmons Opts to Step Aside; Ainge Will Take Over 0-8 Suns". The New York Times. November 15, 1996. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Suns' Ainge Resigns, Cites Family Matters". The Washington Post. December 14, 1999. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  17. ↑ AOL. "Sports News & latest headlines from AOL". AOL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Boston Celtics extend deal of president of basketball operations Danny Ainge". ESPN.com. October 28, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  19. ↑ "2010 NBA playoffs: Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics GM, fined $25K for towel antics". Sports.espn.go.com. May 7, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  20. ↑ Greenberg, Neil. "Analysis | Worst NBA trade ever? 2014 Nets-Celtics trade would have to outdo these four duds". Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Nets Acquire NBA Champions Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry". The Official Site of the Brooklyn Nets. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Analysis | Worst NBA trade ever? 2014 Nets-Celtics trade would have to outdo these four duds". Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Celtics Acquire Four-Time All-Star Kyrie Irving". NBA.com. August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Celtics, Cavaliers Complete Trade". NBA.com. August 30, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Danny Ainge Announces Retirement; Brad Stevens Promoted to President of Basketball Operations" (Press release). Boston, Massachusetts: National Basketball Association. June 2, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  26. ↑ Kostecka, Ryan (December 15, 2021). "Danny Ainge Returns Home To Elevate Utah Basketball". NBA.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Jazz 2023 Offseason Rich with Draft Picks, Salary Cap Space". April 17, 2023.
  28. ↑ Quinn, Sam (April 24, 2023). "Jazz's Lauri Markkanen wins NBA's Most Improved Player award". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  29. ↑ Gallen, Tim (March 6, 2014). "Tempe's Hat Club lands private capital to spur expansion". www.bizjournals.com. Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  30. ↑ "A.Ainge named director of player personnel". ESPN.com. May 13, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  31. ↑ "New York Jets QB Erik Ainge opens up about his years of drug abuse and his ongoing battle with addiction and mental illness". ESPN.com. March 29, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Utah Jazz sign Jake Toolson". The Official Website of the Utah Jazz. National Basketball Association. November 25, 2020. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  33. ↑ "NBA.com: Celtics GM Danny Ainge has mild heart attack". NBA.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Danny Ainge Expected To Make Full Recovery After Suffering Mild Heart Attack". CBS Boston. May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  35. ↑ "To medicate or not? The thorny mental health issue in the NBA". August 22, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  36. 1 2 Danny Ainge, basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
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