Sports

Denver Nuggets Fire Coach Brian Shaw with Team in Slide

Published

10 years ago

March 4, 2015

In this April 16, 2014, file photo, from left, Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw and his assistant coaches Lester Conner and Melvin Hunt look on against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 116-112 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver. The Nuggets have fired coach Brian Shaw after 1½ seasons. Assistant coach Melvin Hunt will serve as interim coach. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) — Last week, Denver Nuggets players broke their huddle with a chant of “1-2-3 … Six weeks,” interpreted by some as a countdown to the end of a season gone sour.

Brian Shaw didn’t even make it that far. The first-time head coach was fired after 1 1/2 seasons on Tuesday, with the team at 20-39 and struggling to win at home. Assistant coach Melvin Hunt was promoted to interim coach and the Nuggets promptly won in his first game, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 106-95 to end a six-game slide.

The timing of the dismissal was somewhat surprising given that just last week general manager Tim Connelly seemed to signal Shaw’s job was safe at least through the end of the season.

“We were hopeful we could dig ourselves out of the hole, play more respectful basketball,” Connelly explained. “Unfortunately, our struggles have been pretty immense and led to today.”

Bucks coach Jason Kidd said he had dinner with Shaw the night before and that Shaw didn’t appear to have any sort of inkling his firing was imminent.

“This wasn’t anything, I don’t think, he saw coming,” Kidd said after his team’s morning practice. “It’s unfortunate what happened with B-Shaw, being one of my mentors as a player and also a good friend.”

Shaw went 56-85 for a .397 winning percentage. The Nuggets were in the midst of 10 straight losses at home — one shy of tying the franchise record set in 1997-98 — before ending the skid on Tuesday night. The team has also nosedived since the All-Star break, going 1-6, and attendance has suffered.

Forward J.J. Hickson said Shaw addressed the team before departing. Shaw’s message was simply to “finish up strong and be pros. Wished all of us luck,” Hickson recounted.

Asked if Shaw lost the locker room, Hickson said, “not in my opinion.”

“Have to look in the mirror individually, and own up to some of the stuff that’s going on around here,” Hickson added.

Nuggets President Josh Kroenke said the team will look for a permanent coach after the season.

“This has been a trying season for all of us,” Kroenke said in a statement. “And we appreciate Nuggets fans continued faith and patience as we build our proud organization back to the NBA’s elite.”

Shaw replaced George Karl, who was ousted after Denver won a franchise-record 57 games in 2012-13 only to be bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

The first season as an NBA head coach for Shaw was marked by injuries and a dispute with point guard Andre Miller, who was eventually traded to Washington. The Nuggets went 36-46, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03. The Nuggets returned to health this season, but failed to live up to expectations.

The affable Shaw was seemingly on the hot seat in November after Portland torched the Nuggets for 84 points in the first half. It was the most points scored in the first half by a Denver opponent since Phoenix scored an NBA-record 107 points on Nov. 10, 1990.

Things began to settle down, though, and the Nuggets went on a five-game win streak. Later, Shaw even eliminated morning shoot-arounds on game days to give his players more time to rest.

In January, Ty Lawson was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence. A month later, the speedy point guard skipped the first practice after the All-Star break when he missed his flight back from Las Vegas. That didn’t sit well with Shaw, who kept Lawson out for a game.

Last Friday against Utah, Nuggets players uttered the “1-2-3. … Six weeks” chant when Shaw wasn’t around. Shaw told The Denver Post and other outlets Monday the chant “all stemmed from me saying that we hadn’t won a game in six weeks on our home floor. So I just want to set the record straight in terms of that. That’s the real truth behind what’s taken off and put us all in a bad light.”

After winning three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers during his playing career, Shaw won two more as an assistant under Phil Jackson before becoming associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers. He interviewed for a dozen head coaching positions before Kroenke hired him on June 25, 2013.

Kroenke called Shaw a “champion and a gentleman.” He noted that since the Kroenke family purchased the franchise in 2000 “we have constantly strived to field a competitive team.” In noting the 10 consecutive playoff appearances and 57-win season in 2012-13, he said: “Expectations have been raised and we want more.”

Hunt, who’s in his fifth season as an assistant for the Nuggets, said he will borrow some tactics from both Karl and Shaw.

“All 10 toes are in,” Hunt said. “We’re going to figure out a way to win games.”

___

AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

4 weeks ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

4 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

4 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok