Report: Bird stepping down as Pacers president

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Larry Bird has won championships as a player here in Boston. He has coached the Pacers to the Finals, and this year he was named basketball's top executive.

Now he's stepping away from the game, at least for the time being.

According to a report from the Indianapolis Star, Bird is "100 percent sure" he will not return as president of the team.

The Star reports that Bird, 55, is dealing with some health issues and will likely take a year off before deciding if he wants to return to any sort of front-office position.

Bird earned 1 million this year, and is walking away less than two months after being named NBA Executive of the Year. He became the first person to be named Executive of the Year, Coach of the Year (1998Pacers) and Most Valuable Player (three times with the Boston Celtics).

The Pacers made the playoffs in 2011 for the first time since 2006, but they made a leap this past season, finishing with the league's fifth-best record, and giving the eventual NBA Champion Miami Heat a scare in the Eastern Conference Semifinals before losing in six games.

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