Washington Wizards name Unseld Jr, son of former star player, as coach

NBA outfit Washington Wizards named Wes Unseld Jr. as coach on Saturday. Unseld
Jr. has spent the last 16 NBA seasons as an assistant coach and this is his
first chance as head coach.

He will be guiding a club he grew up around as the son of former player Wes
Sr, who was a Hall of Fame center, former coach, general manager and vice
president of the Washington Wizards.  

“Becoming a head coach in the NBA is a goal I’ve pursued my entire adult
life and to have that dream realized by coming full circle back to Washington
is truly special,” Unseld Jr. said adding, “I look forward to… connecting
with our fans and establishing a new standard for Wizards basketball.”

Unseld Jr. will replace Scott Brooks whose contract with the Wizards expired
last month after Washington lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the
playoffs following a 34-38 campaign, their third consecutive losing season.

Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said, “Wes is one of the most
highly-regarded assistant coaches in the NBA and clearly separated himself from
the large and diverse group of candidates we considered.”

“His strong record as an in-game tactician along with his attention to
detail on both sides of the ball, combined with his reputation for player
development and outstanding character, left no doubt that he was the best
choice to guide our team to the next level.”

Unseld Jr. worked as assistant for the Wizards from 2005–2011. He had
stints with Golden State and Orlando before spending the last six seasons in
Denver.

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Unseld Jr. is also regarded as a key figure in the development of Serbian center
Nikola Jokic named this season’s Most Valuable Player.

Unseld Jr.’s father Wes Sr.,
who died last year, was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1969 and helped
Washington’s journey to the 1978 NBA title.