Warriors boss Bob Myers owes his job and success to the Celtics’ Danny Ainge

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Warriors boss Bob Myers owes his job and success to the Celtics’ Danny Ainge Empty Warriors boss Bob Myers owes his job and success to the Celtics’ Danny Ainge

Post by bobheckler Wed Jun 06, 2018 10:59 am

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/06/bulpett_warriors_boss_bob_myers_owes_his_job_and_success_to_the_celtics_danny



Bulpett: Warriors boss Bob Myers owes his job and success to the Celtics’ Danny Ainge




Steve Bulpett Wednesday, June 06, 2018




Warriors boss Bob Myers owes his job and success to the Celtics’ Danny Ainge 060518bobmyers
Credit: AP photo
MANY THANKS: Golden State Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers (center) credits Danny Ainge for helping him reach his current position.




Golden State’s president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers almost certainly doesn’t have his two NBA championship rings without the Warriors’ great collection of players and coaches.

And, if not for Danny Ainge, he doesn’t have something else.

“Without him, I probably don’t have this job,” said Myers, who was hired as assistant GM in 2011 and got the big job a year later. “And that’s the truth. That’s not a stretch. I’m not just saying that for your story. That’s the truth.”

Prior to moving into management, Myers was a very successful player agent. But he was looking for a different challenge.

“Joe Lacob, our majority owner, was a minority owner in Boston,” said Myers, “and when he bought the team, I asked Danny. I said, ‘Do you know him at all?’ He said he did, and I said, ‘Can you help me get a meeting with him or talk to him?’ and Danny said, ‘Sure.’

“So I don’t think I’m stretching any kind of truth by saying that short of Danny making that introduction, I don’t ever meet Joe. There’s no way I would have. So Danny Ainge is responsible for my occupation. It’s true.

“If he tells you different, he’s lying. I hope he’s honest about that.”

Ainge tilted his head when Myers’ comments were relayed.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said the Celtics’ president of hoop operations. “I think he got that himself. And he’s obviously done a great job there.”

But Myers’ appreciation for Ainge goes further back. Myers was two years out of UCLA studying for his law degree when he started as an intern with agent Arn Tellem. He quickly moved up the agency ladder.

“When I began as an agent, Danny was always decent to me, and he didn’t have a great reason to be,” Myers said. “It wasn’t because of my prowess in the industry. I didn’t really have anything that I could offer, but he was always really decent. I’d see him at games and obviously he’s a really good conversationalist. He’s got great stories and great acumen. He always just treated me really kindly and was somebody that I’d ask for advice. I respected his basketball knowledge.”

The respect is mutual. The two talked a lot about trades, but the only one executed was a three-way deal with Miami that involved Jordan Crawford going to the Warriors.

“Other than that, we’ve failed,” said Myers. “We’ve talked about a lot more than we’ve actually done.”

Then he pointed to some of Ainge’s more renowned moves and feigned fear.

“I’m afraid to do deals with him,” Myers said. “It’s frightening,” then adding, “No, I’m not. Actually, I find the better relationship you have with a peer, the more likely you are able to do business with them. We have a good relationship, but we just haven’t met on a deal. Why? I don’t know. But I find it easier to do deals with people you’re more familiar with.”

And there was a chance the familiarity would have grown this late spring. The Celtics came within a game of meeting the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Let’s just say the Warriors’ basketball boss won’t be stunned in the least if the Celtics are playing at this time next year.

“They’ve got great ownership,” Myers said. “They’ve got a great brand in the Boston Celtics. They’ve got great leadership with Danny and (coach) Brad (Stevens). The players are hugely important, but Danny’s been there 15 years and Brad’s been there five years. What a great ownership-management-coaching triumvirate to go forward with, and I think it’s a testament to all those factors. And then they’ve been really smart and the players have performed.

“But, no, I’m not surprised with how they’ve progressed. I feel like with that type of leadership, their success will continue. I really do.”

And if Ainge’s Celtics keep a ring off Myers’ finger, well, he’ll just have to be satisfied with the rings Danny helped him acquire.



bob
MY NOTE:  A lot has been made of how many GMs don't want to work with Danny because they are afraid of getting "Billy King-ed", but there are also a lot of people around the league who are disciples of Danny.  Just as Red spawned coaches and GMs (e.g. Tommy, Nellie, KC Jones, Bird, Danny, McHale, Carlisle) Danny has too (e.g. Ryan McDonough of Phoenix, Darryl Morey of Houston, Myers of GSW, Doc in LAC, Thibs in Minny).  For every Pat Riley who doesn't want to work with Danny there are two GMs that have a great relationship with him.


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