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eee INDIANAPOLIS -- Larry Bird is calling it quits with the Indiana Pacers. Wholesale Jerseys China . Bird, perhaps the most respected and beloved basketball figure in a state obsessed with the sport, will leave his job as the Pacers president of basketball operations at the end of August. He spent four years building the team into an Eastern Conference contender and was this seasons NBA executive of the year, but is instead moving on after saying just a month ago that he was willing to stay. Bird said health issues were among the reasons for his departure. He said he may need shoulder surgery and cited longstanding issues with his back. "I just think its time," he said at a news conference Wednesday as the team announced an executive reorganization. Bird said was prepared to leave last year with the organization headed in the right direction. He and owner Herb Simon had discussed his eventual departure for a few years. Bird also said that payroll issues with the small-market Pacers did not affect his decision. "(Simon) knows to get to the next level were going to spend some money," Bird said. "Every time I went to Herb about a player or about money to spend, he questioned it. And he should. At the end of the day, he always said go ahead and do what you have to do to make this team better. Thats the support you need. ... Were going to spend money." Bird said he plans to take a year off and get healthy before he evaluates his situation. He did not rule out a return to basketball. Owning a team used to be a goal, but he said he no longer has that interest. Simon said he had hoped to keep Bird, who will stay on for the draft when the Pacers are scheduled to pick No. 26 overall in the first round Thursday night. His contract expires Aug. 30. "I feel sad (with) the announcement that Larrys going to be leaving us," said Simon, who continued to talk to Bird about staying as late as Monday. "Larry could have stayed here as long as he wants, but he has his own reasons. The Pacers organization appreciates everything hes done for us in his nine years. We wish him the very best and hope that we can still be associated with him in the coming years." The 55-year-old Bird was the Pacers coach from 1997-2000, taking the team to its only NBA Finals appearance that final year before he returned to the teams front office in 2003. He took full control as president of basketball decisions after the 2007-08 season, when Donnie Walsh left to become the New York Knicks president. Walsh is returning as the Pacers president. Kevin Pritchard, the director of player personnel, is being promoted to general manager, replacing David Morway, who resigned Tuesday. Walsh said he wont travel the country to evaluate collegiate prospects, leaving that to Pritchard. Simon first seriously talked to Walsh about the job two weeks ago. "It was a good fit," Walsh said. "When Larry decided to go, it was easy for Herb to look at me and I felt natural in coming back here. I had gotten used to, hey, maybe I wont do it again. So, I had to rethink that again. "(I would have been interested in another team) only if it was a real situation for me where I knew Id fit. Im not just throwing my name out for jobs. I wouldnt do that." Bird had said just a month ago that he wanted to stay and expressed interest in a three-year deal rather than the annual "handshake" agreements he had with Simon. It wasnt to be, and now the Pacers will look to continue their resurgence. Under Bird, the Pacers went 36-46 in 2008-09 and 32-50 in 2009-10 and then, two seasons ago, the Pacers were 17-27 when Bird fired coach Jim OBrien in what proved to be a spark. Interim coach Frank Vogel then took a young team with core players Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough and Darren Collison and guided it to the playoffs. The Pacers challenged the Chicago Bulls before losing the first-round series 4-1. This year, Indiana beat Orlando easily in the first round before falling to eventual champion Miami in six games. Bird, of course, is as well known in Indiana as John Wooden or Bob Knight. The former Indiana State star from tiny French Lick won three MVP awards and three NBA titles during his Hall of Fame career with Boston. As the Pacers president, he took a franchise humbled by the brawl between Pacers players and Pistons fans in 2004, made a series of difficult trades to get rid of troublemakers, rebuilt through the draft and returned the Pacers to the Eastern Conference semifinals this season. It was Indianas deepest post-season run in seven years. The franchise with a tarnished image is now one of the leagues most promising teams despite its small-market status. Bird built the team the old-fashioned way -- by drafting players (Paul George and Hansbrough) and developing them through the team structure, making shrewd decisions to trade for others (George Hill and Collison) and finding affordable free agents (David West). The Pacers, well under the salary cap, are expected to be a significant player in free agency. Cheap Jerseys . -- Game-ending home runs in spring training are not a big deal. NFL Jerseys China . "Were not gonna take it," Parker said, repeating the chorus to Twisted Sisters 1980s hard rock anthem. "Were not gonna take it ... anymore." The Browns are tired of losing. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyschinashop.us/ . -- Reggie Nelson ran around the field with his arms held high. China Jerseys . Another landed behind a Bottle Brush, blocking his path to the 10th green at Riviera. On yet another hole, Mickelson had to thread a 9-iron through the limbs of five eucalyptus trees. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . - Malcolm Subban made 39 saves to backstop the Belleville Bulls in a 4-2 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs on Monday in the Ontario Hockey League.Theres no doubt about it, the best team won.  Italy had more of the possession, the better of the chances, and thoroughly deserved to advance to the semifinals at UEFA Euro 2012 with a penalty shootout win over England on Sunday. It certainly wasnt the highest quality match in the tournament, but there was no shortage of drama as England bowed out of the tournament in familiar fashion. Andrea Pirlo was once again outstanding for the Italians. He created the most attempts on goal of any player on the pitch, and had as many completed passes as the top three England players combined. Pirlo pulled the strings perfectly in the Italian midfield, and then when the pressure was really on, kept his cool during the penalties to chip the ball straight down the middle of Joe Harts goal. As former England midfielder Darren Anderton said on our broadcast, it was a performance that showed Pirlo is "pure class." Italy should have won the game in 90 minutes. Mario Balotelli had a couple of excellent chances while the Italians also hit the woodwork and forced a couple of good saves from Hart in the England goal. After a bright start from both sides, England struggled to create many opportunities and spent much of the game trying to soak up possession from the Azzuri. From the back, Italy looked strong. Led by Gigi Buffon who was equal to the task on the rare occasions he was called into action, but the Italians rarely looked troubled by Englands attack. Italys defence will face its toughest test yet when they come up against Germany in the semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday. As Italy moves on to Warsaw, England now heads home after crashing out of the tournament on a penalty shootout once again. It was the same scenario when they last appeared in the European Chaampionship Quarter Finals in 2004 when they were beaten by Portugal. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping. In fact, England has now lost six of seven penalty shootouts at major tournaments dating back to 1990. Englands side had nowhere near as much quality as Italy, but they deserve credit for fighting hard and defending well in order to take the match to extra time. Englands problems cannot be fixed overnight, but Roy Hodgson managed to get some decent performances out of the players he had available at the tournament. Theres a reason expectations were so low heading into the tournament. Englands off-pitch upheaval left little time for the new manager to prepare for the tournament, but he managed to get the players on side, playing for him and for each other. The togetherness amongst the group was one of the big plusses for England during the tournament. Hodgson deserves credit for Englands advancement to the Quarter Finals. He got the best he could out of the squad. England is a long way from being a contender at a major international tournament and lacks top level world class talent, but they should take pride in what they were able to achieve. England exits the tournament without having lost a game in regulation time. Roy Hodgson has now been in charge for six matches and is yet to be beaten (before penalties). Hodgson has proved to be a wise choice to be in charge of England. The player that was most impressive for England during the tournament was Steven Gerrard. He led by example and was the heartbeat of the team in midfield. His delivery from set pieces was outstanding and he ended EURO 2012 with three assists. Gerrard has always been a player that can be relied upon for club or country, and he proved that once against in the four matches he played in Ukraine. ' ' '