Bird Turns Down Pacer Front-Office Job

Already off the court as coach, Larry Bird said Thursday he had turned down a front-office job with the Indiana Pacers and would not take any other job in the NBA for at least a year.

“With Larry, once he tells you something, that’s it,” Pacer President Donnie Walsh said.

Bird, who coached the Pacers for three years and took the team to the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history, never wavered from his intention to step down at the end of the season. He was offered a job as director of basketball operations but said all along he was leaning toward a complete break from basketball.

“I want to take some time off to rest, spend time with my wife and kids, then decide what to do,” Bird said in a statement. “The last three years have been a great experience. While our goal was to win a championship, I’m still very proud of what the players accomplished.”

Bird, who was given an option of becoming team president after Walsh retired, said in February he was “90%” certain he would retire altogether.

He later backed off that, but after the loss to the Lakers in the finals this week he said he was leaning toward returning to his home in Naples, Fla., where he and his wife already have enrolled their children in school for the fall.

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It will cost Toronto fans more to see Vince Carter’s dazzling dunks after the Raptors announced across-the-board increases in ticket prices. From the most expensive seat--up to $123 from $114 last season--to the cheapest--up to $15 from $12.50--the Raptors are banking on their first playoff appearance continuing to draw fans at the Air Canada Centre. . . . Derrick McKey of the Pacers will have surgery on his lower right leg for the fourth consecutive year, this time for a torn tendon. McKey, 34, appeared in only 32 games and averaged a career-low 4.3 points, playing with the latest injury since March. He also played in each of the Pacers’ 23 playoff games but averaged only 2.0 points.

Freshmen Jason Kapono of UCLA and Kenny Satterfield of Cincinnati were among seven college players who have officially withdrawn their names from the early entry list for the NBA draft. Juniors Brian Merriweather of Texas Pan American and Jeryl Sasser of Southern Methodist were also on the list released by the NBA on Thursday. The others were sophomores D.A. Layne of Georgia, Karim Shabazz of Providence and Joe White of Texas A&M.; The draft will be held Wednesday in Minneapolis. . . . The Boston Celtics have picked up the option year on the contract of swingman Adrian Griffin, an early-season surprise last year after joining the team from the CBA. The 6-foot-5 Griffin, who played at Seton Hall, averaged 6.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.