Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray Ainge (/ˈeɪndʒ/ AYNJ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his 18-year career as general manager for the Boston Celtics, he was known for making bold moves to help the team rebuild, clearing cap space and tanking for picks. Ainge served as the Boston Celtics' president of basketball operations from 2003 until his retirement in 2021, when he was succeeded by incumbent head coach Brad Stevens (whom he had hired in 2014).
Ainge during the Celtics' championship parade in 2008 | |
| Utah Jazz | |
|---|---|
| Position | CEO of basketball operations / alternate governor |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 17, 1959 Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | North Eugene (Eugene, Oregon) |
| College | BYU (1977–1981) |
| NBA draft | 1981: 2nd round, 31st overall pick |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Playing career | 1981–1995 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 44, 7, 9, 22 |
| Coaching career | 1996–1999 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1981–1989 | Boston Celtics |
| 1989–1990 | Sacramento Kings |
| 1990–1992 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1992–1995 | Phoenix Suns |
| As coach: | |
| 1996 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 1996–1999 | Phoenix Suns |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As executive: | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,964 (11.5 ppg) |
| Assists | 4,199 (4.0 apg) |
| Steals | 1,133 (1.1 spg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Danny Ainge | |
|---|---|
| Second baseman / Third baseman | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 21, 1979, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 22, 1981, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .220 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 37 |
| Teams | |
A three-sport star in high school, he was named to All-America teams in football, basketball, and baseball. At Brigham Young University, he was named national basketball college player of the year and won the John R. Wooden Award for the most outstanding male college basketball player. While in college, Ainge also played parts of three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB), mostly as a second baseman. He was then drafted into the NBA by the Celtics. Ainge played in the NBA for 14 seasons, playing for the Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns, primarily as a shooting guard. He went on to coach the Suns for three seasons before joining management of the Celtics, with whom Ainge has three NBA championships to his credit (two as a player, one as a team executive). During his playing career he appeared in the 1988 All-Star Game, and was the NBA Executive of the Year in 2008.