 | DONNIE WALSHPresident, Basketball Operations |
One of the game's most respected executives for more than two decades, Donnie Walsh returned to his native Big Apple when he was named president, basketball operations of the Knickerbockers on April 2, 2008.
Walsh joined the Knicks following a 24-year tenure with the Indiana Pacers, over which he built the Pacers into one of the NBA's elite franchises. As he embarks on his Knicks career, Walsh is the League's longest-tenured basketball decision-maker.
"I consider it a privilege to be working with one of the charter teams in the NBA, and to come back to the city I call home," said Walsh, 67, upon his appointment. "New York is a very special place for me and it is an honor to be joining this franchise. Knicks fans are among the most loyal and knowledgeable group anywhere in the League, and we will be dedicated to giving all New Yorkers a winning team."
The Bronx native originally joined the Pacers as an assistant coach in 1984. He was promoted to general manager in 1986, to president of the Pacers Basketball Corporation (now Pacers Sports & Entertainment) in 1988 and, on Jul. 11, 2003, to chief executive officer and president. Under Walsh's leadership, the Pacers became one of the game's showcase franchises, winning four Central Division Championships, making six trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, and climaxing Walsh's tenure with the 2000 Eastern Conference Championship.
Over a 10-year period that concluded with the 2004-05 season, the Pacers had the best winning percentage (.602) of any team in the Eastern Conference and fourth-best in the NBA behind the Lakers, San Antonio and Utah. The Pacers won 50+ games five times under Walsh's stewardship.
Walsh built a Pacers team that made the NBA Playoffs 16 times over a 17-year span from 1989-90 through 2005-06. Highlighting that stretch were six memorable Playoff series against the Knicks which the two teams split 3-3, including Indiana's triumph over New York in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals which earned the Pacers their first trip to The NBA Finals.
With the Pacers, Walsh brought three of the game's most respected names - Hall of Famers Larry Brown, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas - to coach the team. In July 2003, Bird was named the Pacers' president of basketball operations, with Walsh promoted to CEO/president.
Walsh's track record with the Pacers earned him recognition in 2000-01 from Bloomberg News Service as the NBA's top basketball executive in a vote of the league's coaches.
In addition to his success with the NBA Pacers, Walsh oversaw major projects for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, including the opening of Conseco Fieldhouse in 1999 and the creation of the WNBA's Indiana Fever that same year. Considered one of the game's true showplaces, the state-of-the-art Fieldhouse owes much of its "retro" feel to Walsh's input and memories from his days as a fan at the Old Garden on Eighth Avenue. In addition, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Games Committee for the 1992 and 1996 men's basketball squads.
Walsh's basketball pedigree took firm root on the streets of New York City. An outstanding high school player at Fordham Prep, Walsh then played at the University of North Carolina under the legendary coaching duo of Frank McGuire and Dean Smith.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, Walsh attended the North Carolina Law School and helped coach the Tar Heels' freshman team for two seasons. After graduating from law school and turning down offers from then-former Vice President Richard Nixon's law firm in New York City and the U.S. Justice Department's Honors programs, he took a graduate coaching position under Smith at North Carolina and then became an associate head coach under McGuire at South Carolina.
In 1977, Walsh was about to enter private law practice in South Carolina, but Brown, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets, asked Walsh to join him as an assistant. Walsh stayed with the Nuggets as an assistant coach and then as head coach — compiling a 60-82 mark over three seasons — before entering private business in 1982. He joined the Pacers in 1984 as an assistant under head coach George Irvine.
During his Pacers tenure, Walsh served on the boards of many local charities. In June 2004, he was honored with the Indiana Pathfinder Award for his contributions to causes involving youth.
Born on Mar. 1, 1941, Donnie and his Judy — both Big Apple natives — have five children. They also are avid dog lovers.
