After the Knicks thanked Donnie Walsh for turning around the franchise by kicking him to the curb and making him a “consultant,” he went home to Indiana.
There the notorious workaholic has relaxed. Spent time with his family, done work around the house and a few crossword puzzles, basically just taken it easy. Which is what a lot of GMs can do right now during the lockout, but for Walsh this is a dramatic change
Walsh told the Indianapolis Star that after three years of a 24/7 Knicks grind he is enjoying a smaller role with the team. But do not call him retired.
I’m never going to say I won’t do it anymore, I’m not going to do that. There have been too many people who tell me I’m going to miss it, so I’m going to keep options open.
The day I say that’s it will be the day I say that’s it for real. Like when I left New York, I never said, ‘I’ll never do this again.’ I don’t see any reason why you would say (you’re retiring).
There are a lot of franchises that could use Walsh — as savvy an executive as there is in the league. Even at age 71 next summer, he should have offers. (He avoided talking about Indiana and the Larry Bird situation.) The question is, after a series of health issues while with the Knicks, how much of a grind will he want? His advantage is that he should be able to pick and choose offers.
And the Knicks may regret ever letting him go.