New coach I’m excited…. Good choice by Mr. Kroenke…Congrats b shaw… Time to go to work #savage #iphonespellcheckiskillingme
— Ty Lawson (@TyLawson3) June 25, 2013
Former NBA player and long-time assistant Brian Shaw has been looking for his opportunity to be the leader of a team for quite some time, and his quest to become a head coach in the league finally came to a conclusion on Monday, when the Denver Nuggets decided to hire him for next season.
Shaw has played the role of an assistant over the past eight seasons – the same number of years George Karl has led the Nuggets to only a certain degree of postseason success – but with several vacant coaching positions this season, he became a commodity around the league. Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post has the full details on Shaw’s thoughts of a dream come true:
Brian Shaw will be the new coach of the Denver Nuggets, saying he’s been “prepared by the best of the best” for his first NBA head coaching job.
“I can’t express my appreciation enough,” Shaw told The Denver Post by phone Monday evening. “It’s been a grind to say the least, but I’m just very appreciative of the opportunity to lead this team. … It’s been years, 11-12 interviews I’ve gone through. And I’ve felt I’ve been prepared by the best of the best. You know, everything that’s worth something, a lot of times you have to wait for it. I feel like I’ve waited and paid my dues.
“I feel honored and privileged that (Nuggets executives) Josh (Kroenke) and Tim (Connelly) have put faith in me that I’m the guy they want to grow with going forward.”
It’s a well-deserved opportunity and one that Denver and its fans can look forward to. Shaw is recognized as a player’s coach and is largely credited for developing Paul George during his time with the Indiana Pacers. That should be exciting news for Ty Lawson, who is a rising star in his own right.
Tweet of the Night: Dwyane Wade