Donnie Walsh dedicated three years to fixing the New York Knicks, all the while knowing the job would take much longer.
At first he wanted to stay on as the guy who finished it, to see them really contend for a title. But at age 70, Walsh realized he wasn’t up for the task. So when Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan wanted Walsh to commit to a multiyear extension, the longtime executive decided it was best not to return as Knicks president.
“I just to myself thought, ‘I don’t know that I’m going to be up to that, I don’t think that I can commit to that,’ because I’m getting older and I do this job only one way and that is full forward ahead,’’ Walsh said yesterday. “It’s 24-7 with me and I think that’s what it takes, to be honest.’’
The Knicks announced in a statement that Walsh and Dolan mutually agreed that Walsh will not return when his contract expires at the end of June, a somewhat surprising departure and major loss for a team coming off its best season in a decade.
His departure opens questions about whether coach Mike D’Antoni will return for the final year of his deal, though Walsh indicated D’Antoni would stay.
Walsh spent three seasons in New York, leading a massive rebuilding effort that got the Knicks back into the playoffs this season following the acquisitions of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks said Walsh, who plans to move back to Indiana, will be a consultant next season.
Senior vice president Glen Grunwald will serve as interim general manager.
McHale energized Kevin McHale missed the intensity of NBA competition and the Rockets offered an ideal opportunity for him to plunge back in.
Houston officially introduced the 53-year-old McHale as its new coach to replace Rick Adelman.
McHale has been working as a television analyst and hasn’t coached since finishing the 2008-09 season in Minnesota. But he missed the camaraderie and never lost his desire to return to the sideline.
“There’s nothing like being in the fight,’’ McHale said. “There’s something about being in the game that’s really fun, and I really enjoyed that.’’
McHale’s salary was not disclosed, but he has signed a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year. He said he’s spoken to most of the current Rockets and is just starting the process of evaluating and contacting potential assistants.
McHale is the 12th coach in franchise history, and the third since Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down after the 2003 season for health reasons. Jeff Van Gundy coached the team from 2003-07, taking the Rockets to three playoff appearances. Adelman went 193-135 in his four seasons, the highest winning percentage (.588) among the franchise’s full-time coaches.
Rambis unhappy Seven weeks after the Timberwolves’ season ended, Kurt Rambis has not been told whether he will be back for a third year as head coach. So he finally decided to say something about it. Rambis admitted to being irked by the lack of communication with team president David Kahn. “I think everybody has reasons for why they conduct the business in the way they want to conduct their business,’’ Rambis said in his first public remarks about the situation since the regular season ended. “If you’re asking me if that’s what I would do, no, that’s not how I would handle things. But everybody’s different.’’ Kahn was traveling and not immediately available for comment … Raptors forward Amir Johnson had surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be ready for training camp if there is no lockout.
