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NBA executives rarely get the credit they deserve for building a winning organizational culture that not only provides immediate results but also acts as a foundation for the future.
When you talk about building a winning culture, it seems like a no-brainer to hire a former player or legend who knows what it takes to win in the league. Unfortunately, what most players who turn into executives realize is that some of them just aren't cut out to be great executives irrespective of their achievements as players or businessmen.
Ask Magic Johnson, who is a top-10 player on the all-time list and a savvy businessman. Unfortunately for Magic, his tenure as President of Basketball Operations for the LA Lakers ended up being more "tragic" than "magic."
Unfortunately, winning as a player and a coach comes with a price as it ends up building both your reputation and your ego; you use one while you leave another. Legends like Magic and Phil Jackson unfortunately chose the latter as they were unable to look past their egos for the benefit of the franchise.
To Magic's credit, he leveraged his reputation too, leading to the signing of LeBron James and the appointment of current GM Rob Pelinka before bowing out of his role.
Having said that, there are players who have been equally brilliant on the court and in the front office as executives. They set up their respective franchises for continued success by taking advantage of the knowledge that they possess, the contacts that they have built as star players and their willingness to leave their ego at the door.
Without further ado, let's have a look at the five NBA players who turned out to be legends on the court and in the front office.
5 best players-turned-executives in NBA history
#5 Larry Bird
Teams: Indiana Pacers
Experience: 13 seasons (2003-12, 2013-17)
Playoff Appearances: Eight
Titles: Zero
Record as GM: 642-571 (.529)
When you talk about Larry Bird, you remember the Hall-of-Famer's days as a cornerstone of a highly successful Boston Celtics franchise. He went on to win three NBA titles and two Finals MVPs in a legendary playing career.
Bird was hired as President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers in 2003. This was three years after a successful coaching stint with his hometown team, where he almost came close to ending the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
He took over during a tumultuous time for the Pacers as he had to break up a good team and trade players such as Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson for their respective roles in 'Malice at the Palace.'
Indiana was never the ideal free-agent destination and lacked the star power to draw superstars since Reggie Miller retired. Larry Legend would not give up and traded or drafted around the fringes while adding the right pieces around his team.
He drafted an upcoming superstar in Paul George in 2010, and there was no looking back after that. Indiana went on to become perennial contenders in the Eastern Conference, losing twice to LeBron and the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.
Larry Bird is the only player in history to win an MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
#4 Joe Dumars
Teams: Detroit Pistons
Experience: 14 seasons (2000-2014)
Playoff Appearances: Eight
Titles: One (2004)
Record as GM: 595-537 (.526)
Joe Dumars is a Hall-of-Famer who was a vital piece on the legendary Bad Boy Pistons roster. He played a key role in restricting Michael Jordan as part of Chuck Daly's "Jordan Rules" defensive playbook.
A two-time champion and NBA Finals MVP with his Pistons, Joe Dumars was a six-time All-Star and was selected to four All-NBA defensive teams. Even Michael Jordan ended up acknowledging Dumars as the best defender he's ever faced, and that is high praise coming from the G.O.A.T.
The Detroit Pistons hired Dumars as President of Basketball Operations prior to the 2000-01 season. Dumars was just as aggressive as an executive as he was as a player. He orchestrated multiple trades and big signings that eventually led to the formation of the 2004 Championship-winning team that stunned the LA Lakers led by Shaq and Kobe.
His trades for Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton, along with the free agency signing of Chauncey Billups and the drafting of Tayshaun Prince, helped set up Detroit to be a consistent winner.
The Pistons, under his leadership, made it to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals, winning one title.
#3 Mitch Kupchak
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets
Experience: 20 seasons (2000-2017, 2018-current)
Playoff Appearances: 13
Titles: Seven
Record as GM: 747-607 (.552)
Mitch Kupchak's career as a player was largely forgotten due to a lack of personal accomplishments. Having said that, Kupchak did enjoy team success as he was a three-time champion with the Washington Bullets and LA Lakers while also winning Olympic Gold in 1976 with Team USA.
Kupchak made up for his lack of personal accomplishments as a player by building a storied career as an executive. He won five titles as a GM and another two as an assistant GM under Jerry West.
Kupchak has had a largely hit-and-miss record as an executive, pulling off astonishing trades for the likes of Pau Gasol, which helped him win two titles in 2009 and 2010. He's also made disastrous trades like the one for Steve Nash, where he traded four picks for an injury-prone declining star.
Kupchak's downfall with the LA Lakers came after two albatross contracts for journeymen Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng. The reverberations of the latter's contract are still felt today as the Lakers struggle with dead cap.
Despite his misgivings over free agency, Kupchak has an excellent track record with draft picks, drafting All-Stars such as Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell.
He was later hired by the Charlotte Hornets as their new GM. He made a flurry of moves to make them competitive again while also drafting their next franchise cornerstone in LaMelo Ball.
#2 Danny Ainge
Teams: Boston Celtics
Experience: 18 seasons (2003-2021)
Playoff Appearances: 16
Titles: One
Record as GM: 722-573 (.558)
Danny Ainge was known as a hard-nosed, feisty player who refused to back down irrespective of who the opponent was. He had a reputation for infuriating his opponents, as shown by his legendary scraps with Tree Rollins and Michael Jordan. He was also an integral part of the Boston Celtics, winning two championships with them in 1984 and 1986.
Ainge was appointed as the Executive Director of Basketball Operations for the Celtics in 2003. He turned out to be their second-longest tenured executive after the legendary Red Auerbach.
Ainge took his aggressive mindset as a player into the front office, soon gaining a reputation as "Trader Danny" for his role in trading popular players. His brilliance showed as the Celtics were on the winning end of trade deals more often than not.
The highlight of his executive tenure came in 2007 when he pulled off two of the biggest trades in NBA history. He completed his Big 3 by landing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to complement Paul Pierce. The Celtics would then go on to become perennial contenders in the Eastern Conference and win a title in 2008.
Ainge pulled off yet another blockbuster trade in 2013 as he traded Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for five players and multiple picks.
Despite winning only one championship in 2008, Trader Danny will go down as one of the greatest executives in the game for turning Boston into a perennial contender.
#1 Jerry West
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies
Experience: 23 seasons, Lakers (1982-2000), Grizzlies (2002-2007)
Playoff Appearances: 20
Titles: Five
Record as GM: Lakers (972-472, .673), Grizzlies (194-216, .473)
Very few players have enjoyed the success that Jerry West has as a player and as an executive. The Logo could be considered a basketball god in the eyes of many, as no one can replicate his storied resume.
The Logo is a Hall-of-Fame guard who won a championship with the LA Lakers in 1972 while also being a 14-time All-Star and an NBA Finals MVP. He was known to be a great facilitator and a brilliant outside shooter. His leadership skills put him in a different echelon and facilitated his smooth transition into the business side of the game.
Jerry West was appointed as the general manager of the LA Lakers prior to the 1982-83 season. He then went on to build the great 1980s dynasty centered around legendary PG Magic Johnson, who he drafted in 1979, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
West was credited with adding the right pieces around Magic by drafting James Worthy, Byron Scott and A.C. Green and trading for Mychal Thompson. These decisions led to the foundation of the 'Showtime Lakers,' who went on to win five titles between 1979 and 1986.
After a lull during the Jordan era, West came roaring back in the 2000s, building yet another Lakers dynasty as he convinced Shaquille O'Neal, the most dominant player in NBA history, to sign a contract as a free agent. He later pulled off another masterstroke with a trade for the draft rights Kobe Bryant. The Shaq-Kobe duo led the Lakers to four Finals appearances and three titles.
Jerry West moved on to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 and helped resurrect the franchise. He made a couple of shrewd moves like hiring coach Hubie Brown, who later went on to win NBA Coach of the Year as the Grizzlies made it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2004. West won NBA Executive of the Year for his work with the franchise.
West became an executive board member of the Golden State Warriors in 2011 and served as a consultant. He was instrumental in stopping Klay Thompson's trade for Kevin Love. He also played a key role in successfully recruiting Kevin Durant in 2016 and establishing the Warriors dynasty, which went on to win three titles in five consecutive Finals appearances.
After six years with the Warriors, Jerry West was off to L.A. again, this time to consult for the other team at Staples Center. LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made it a priority to get West onboard and reaped the rewards instantly as he played a key role in recruiting Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Clippers now have a team capable of contending for the foreseeable future.
Jerry West will forever go down in history as the only Hall-of-Fame player to transition into a Hall-of-Fame executive, despite a couple of others winning more as a player and as an executive.
