Former Kansas Star Perfect To Replace Bird With Pacers
By Stan Unruh
Former Kansas guard Kevin Pritchard has big shoes to fill. He is the perfect candidate to take over for Larry Bird with the Pacers.
In the late 80s, Kevin Pritchard played on a couple of great college basketball teams. His 1988 Kansas Jayhawks coached by Larry Brown and led by Danny Manning won a national title.
Pritchard was an outstanding member of that Kansas team. He did just what Larry Brown needed.
As a matter of fact, if a coach needed Pritchard to fill in for Bird on the basketball court, he’d give it his all.
While he’s not the player that Bird was almost 10 year’s earlier, Pritchard is the perfect replacement now.
Bird is 60. The Pacers need a new man in the front office. Pritchard has such a variety of front office experience, he will have positive impact immediately as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations.
In light of his success and experience, Pritchard is in an ideal situation.
He has been with the team for five seasons, knows where the land mines are and who he can trust.
He has worked his way up with the Pacers and in the league.
After his outstanding career for Kansas, Pritchard played for five NBA teams.
On one hand that is not ideal. At the same time, he had a chance to see what other pro organizations do and don’t do.
He saw what mistakes some of the teams make. Soon after his on the court career ended, he took over as a coach and general manager in the ABA. He learned immediately how to run both sides of an organization. It worked well, the team won a championship in 2002.
Equally important, he’s been an NBA scout, coach, director of player personnel and general manager.
Pritchard has the experience few bring to the table. More than anything else, Kevin Pritchard is a winner. He won at Kansas continues to succeed. He’ll do the same in his new role with the Pacers.