Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge knows his new president of basketball operations well.
Austin Ainge, the Boston Celtics’ assistant general manager and the son of the NBA great, was named the Jazz’s new president of basketball operations on Monday.
“It’s going to take a lot of work, but I can’t wait to get started,” Ainge said at an introductory news conference.
He will be the organization’s top basketball decision-maker, working with both his father and Jazz general manager Justin Zanik.
“Austin will be running the program,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith said. “He’s got final recommendation to myself on any decisions that need to be made. I think it’s the job of both Justin, Danny and and myself to kind of plug into him.”
Austin Ainge, 43, had spent the last 17 years with the Boston Celtics organization.
He played four collegiate seasons with the BYU Cougars basketball team, averaging 6.6 points over the course of 101 games from 2003-07.
Two years later, he was named head coach of the Maine Red Claws, an expansion NBA D-League franchise. That franchise later partnered with the Celtics and the younger Ainge moved into the team’s front office. Ainge worked his way up in the organization from director of scouting and player personnel to assistant general manager.
“This is an incredible opportunity to lead Utah Jazz basketball operations,” Austin Ainge said in a prepared statement. “I couldn’t be more excited about the bright future of this organization. I look forward to partnering with Ryan and Ashley Smith and our other leaders within the Utah Jazz and will utilize my experience over the last 17 years building a championship-caliber organization. I have lived this my whole life, constantly studying teams, talent, chemistry and the selflessness necessary to win. I look forward to bringing that to Utah and am excited to give Jazz fans a lot to cheer about as we build our program back up.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new president of basketball operations,” Smith said in the statement. “Austin is one of the brightest minds in the NBA—his 17 years with the Celtics have given him incredible insight into every part of an organization. I’ve known Austin for 15 years, and I’ve watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative, and strategic basketball executive who’s ready to lead this organization.”
The Jazz said Zanik would work with the Ainges in leading the franchise.
“Austin is one of the most respected executives in the NBA because of his basketball prowess, experience, and work ethic and I am excited to partner with him on our shared goal of success for the Utah Jazz,” Zanik said. “Once again, Ryan and Ashley illustrate their commitment to Utah as they strive to build the best franchise in the NBA.”
