Bird Weighs In On Bringing Back Jack

After posting the thoughts that were running through my head regarding Jarrett Jack's future with the Indiana Pacers, Jeff Rabjohns hit me in stride with Larry Bird's  thoughts on the topic. Unfortunately it took most of the day to get the online verstion of the Indy Star story right, but alas, it is good to go.

Obviously, Bird would love to bring back Jack and intends to do everything he can this summer to make it happen.

"This is a professional basketball league, and you can't get any more professional than Jarrett Jack," Bird said while watching a recent team workout. "He's done everything that you're supposed to do as a basketball player.

"He plays tough, practices hard, plays hard, spends time after practice working his game. He's a great teammate. He's what this league should be about, and I think it's an honor for us to have him as an Indiana Pacer."

Pretty much was I was trying to express in my post, although Bird cut to the chase in a couple of tidy paragraphs. There are some other great quotes in this story from Jim O'Brien regarding Jack's leadership role among his teammates.

"He's a superb leader," O'Brien said. "He practices hard and he also has the ability to keep it loose with the coaches and the players.

"Some people are goof offs. He's not. He's a man's man from the standpoint, he comes to work, wants to enjoy work, wants other people around him to enjoy work, but they work."

Still comes down to how much other suitors are willing to offer Jack. If all things are equal, I think the Pacers will be able to entice him to stay and build on his solid season in Indy.