Wednesday, August 27, 2003
ESPN.com news services
 
INDIANAPOLIS -- Isiah Thomas was fired Wednesday as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, a surprise move that came only seven weeks after Larry Bird was hired as president of basketball operations.

"After looking at film, seeing how things were and evaluating the basketball operations, I detected the team's chemistry wasn't what it should be," Bird said. "A change was necessary and a fresh start was important."

Bird rejoined the franchise in his current role last month.

Thomas, an NBA Hall of Famer, led a young Indiana team into the playoffs each of his first three seasons, but they were knocked out in the first round each year. He was 131-115 in three years.

Thomas told ESPN's David Aldridge on Wednesday afternoon that the Pacers called him Tuesday night in San Juan, where Thomas was attending the Olympic qualifying tournament, and asked him to return to Indianapolis.

"I definitely still want to coach, and I know I can coach," Thomas told Aldridge. "I guess I'm disappointed that Larry and I didn't get a chance to work together. I'm disappointed he didn't give that a chance, for us to work together."

Donnie Walsh, the team's CEO, and Bird, the president of basketball operations, did not immediately pick a successor or set a timetable for choosing a new coach. Former Detroit Pistons coach Rick Carlisle, a former Pacers assistant when Bird was coach, is the logical choice.

"We have decided to go in a different direction," Walsh said in a statement. "When I hired Isiah, I thought he was the right man for the job and at the time and he was."

The team said it would honor the final year of Thomas' contract. An official announcement was expected at a news conference later in the day.

Thomas was with the U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this week. He checked out of his hotel Tuesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Thomas won two championships as a player with the Pistons.

Bird and Thomas were contentious rivals from their days of leading the Celtics and Pistons to NBA titles in the 1980s.

When he was hired July 11, Bird walked off the podium at a news conference and shook hands with Thomas -- but neither smiled.

Bird led the Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals and the best three-year record in their NBA history during his time as coach. Thomas succeeded him as coach.

Indiana had the best record in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break this past season, making Thomas the All-Star coach, but went 14-19 the rest of the season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Boston.

Walsh at the time gave no indication Thomas wouldn't return, although he said the second-half swoon was troubling.

Pacers players had continued to voice support for Thomas. Jermaine O'Neal, then a free agent, said before he re-signed with the team last month that he would not play for anybody but Thomas with the Pacers.

The biggest criticism of Thomas was his inconsistent rotations. While most players preferred a set role, Thomas made his decisions on his own feelings for a particular game and team matchups.

LOL^^^...anyway they'll hire rick carlisle...birds x assistant

^lol^

hopefully they will do good next season

This is bullshit IMO. I liked Isiah aka Zeke......Plus, now Jermaine is gona be pissed....Things dont look good for the Pacers.

Isiash is not a good coach. The three years his teams have fallen apart in the second half of  the year. He wasn't good with rotations. Any team after losing Isaish as a coach would be a lot better.