| | Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Rick Carlisle, passed over when the Indiana
Pacers chose Isiah Thomas to be their next coach, put the best face
on his disappointment and his uncertain future Friday.
Carlisle, an assistant to former coach Larry Bird the past three
seasons, said he understood the decision by team president Donnie
Walsh to select Thomas for the job.
|  | | Rick Carlisle showed no bitterness Friday while meeting with media members alongside his fiance, Donna Nobile. |
He said he was looking forward to his Sept. 16 wedding to Dr.
Donna Nobile, a pediatrician he has known since his playing days.
"It has been a great experience to be in Indianapolis, to be
with a great organization like the Pacers. My experience with our
players over three years has been an unforgettable experience. I've
learned so much from them by working with them," he said at a news
conference at his home.
Carlisle, an NBA assistant since 1989, expressed no bitterness
over not getting the job.
"Indiana basketball, to me and to both of us, is one of the
great treasures in all sports," he said with Nobile by his side.
"After three years, I really believe I have a handle on what
that's all about, and I do feel that I've been a significant part
of Indiana basketball history. For that I will always be
grateful."
He thanked Walsh, the owners and other members of the Pacers'
organization.
"This has been an unusual process," said Carlisle about
spending a month in limbo before Walsh made the selection of Thomas
official Thursday.
"This (coaching the Pacers) is one of the great jobs in all
sports. It's been difficult waiting through this. But to me to have
a chance to be the head coach of the Indiana Pacers made that
worthwhile.
"As difficult as it is to not get the job, it was worth going
through the process. I'll be a better coach and a better person,"
because of it."
Carlisle said he didn't think it would make sense for him to
stay on with Indiana.
"This is the best organization I've ever been with. ... From
top to bottom if you go through the entire franchise, you won't
find a better group of people," he said. "That's why it's
disappointing to have to walk away from this, but at the same time
I don't want to close the door to the possibility to come back some
other time."
Carlisle said he had been contacted about being an assistant
coach with other teams.
"I'm not sure if that's the route I'm going to go. I may do
something a little different, I'm not exactly sure what that would
be," he said. "The only important thing to me is becoming a
better coach, continuing to study the game, to be ready for the
next thing, whatever that might be."
The selection of Thomas was complicated by the NBA's mandate
that he divest himself of his role as owner of the Continental
Basketball Association. The Pacers announced Thursday that an
agreement was made which will satisfy the league, although no
details were divulged.
"I don't think people expected this thing to go along as long
as it did. I was not a fan of this process, but I understood a lot
about it," Carlisle said, adding that he expected Thomas to be
successful in his debut as a coach.
"He's obviously a very capable basketball guy. His history in
the game has been documented quite fully. This team is blessed with
great players, great young talent," he said.
"I understand why Isiah is a very attractive candidate. I think
their reasons for hiring him were sound. He's talked about
championship basketball, and I think that's the only thing that
really matters." | |
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