The Denver Nuggets have announced that they have hired Bob Weiss to the coaching staff.
This content is no longer available.
Weiss is long in the tooth, he got his first head coaching gig in the NBA back in the 1980s with the San Antonio Spurs. He next got an opportunity with the Atlanta Hawks before having brief stints with both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle Supersonics. Weiss has been back in the NBA as an assistant since 2012. The connection to Denver is there as well, Weiss spent several years as an assistant to George Karl while both were in Seattle. His career head coaching record is 223 and 299.
Weiss also spent time in China, coaching the Shanxi Zhongyu and the Shagdong Lions. Coach’s time over there was fairly noteworthy in terms of two cultures trying to make it work on a basketball court. There aren’t very many examples of old school American coaches going over to China but Weiss is one of the few. His time coaching there resulted in a book being written titled “Brave Dragons, A Chinese Basketball Team, an American Coach and Two Cultures Clashing.” Here is an extended interview with Weiss about his experience coaching in China.
Presumably, the former point guard will fill the role vacated by Chris Finch, who is now with the New Orleans Pelicans, as an assistant mainly focusing on the offense and one has to believe if he spent a good portion of his career working with Karl then Weiss should have some offensive acumen going for him. However, the Nuggets have not made any statement as of yet as to specifically what Weiss will be focusing on.
Nonetheless, the list of players coach Weiss has helped developed is impressive, it includes: Bill Walton, Dominique Wilkins, Gary Payton, Patrick Ewing, Ray Allen and many others. He returned to the NBA as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks in 2012, before moving on to Charlotte for the 2013-2014 season If nothing else, we know this for sure, coach is multi talented!
He can also do magic tricks and his stage presence and delivery is pretty on point!
