Here's a cut and paste of the article, part #1.
The search for a new Kings coach appears to be down to three
The Final Three?
According to several published reports over the last week, including an article written in the Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Kings have narrowed their search for a head coach to succeed Rick Adelman down to three candidates. All three are known in basketball circles, with two having won championships at some point in their career and the other having grown up with coaching literally flowing though his blood.
Here is a closer look at each of the finalists:
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Mario Elie
Mario Elie, who played 11 seasons in the NBA – including two with Golden State – became a Warriors assistant coach in 2004-05. Prior to joining the Warriors coaching staff, he spent last season on the bench as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. Elie has made the playoffs in all 12 of his seasons as an NBA player and coach.
Elie, enjoyed a successful NBA playing career, averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 732 regular season games with Golden State, Philadelphia, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix. He also played in 116 career playoff contests, winning three NBA Championships with Houston (1994 & 1995) and San Antonio (1999).
A native of New York City, Elie enjoyed some of his finest playing moments as a member of the Houston Rockets. He started all four games of the 1995 NBA Finals against Orlando, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists en route to winning his second consecutive title. Additionally, his best individual season came in 1996-97, when he averaged 11.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 78 games for the Rockets. In 1998, he was named to the Rockets 30-Year Team as one of the top 10 players in club history.
After going undrafted by the NBA in 1985 out of American International College – a Division II school in Springfield, Massachusetts – Elie played in Portugal, Argentina, Ireland, the USBL, the WBL and the CBA before making his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers in December of 1990.
KINGS POLL
Who do you think will be the Kings next head coach?
Mario Elie
Eric Musselman
John Whisenant
Someone else
After appearing in three games for the 76ers, Elie signed a 10-day contract with Golden State on February 23, 1991. Five days later, he signed a contract to keep him with the Warriors through the end of the following season. During his two seasons in the Bay Area (1990-91 & 1991-92), Elie appeared in 109 regular-season games, averaging 7.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.1 minutes per contest. In 13 playoff contests, he averaged 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while playing alongside current team executives Chris Mullin and Rod Higgins.
Mario (pronounced MERRY-oh) and his wife, Gina, are the parents of triplets, Gaston, Glenn and Lauren. Gina is a television personality who has most recently worked as a national correspondent for MSNBC and as a nightly news anchor for KTRK-TV in Houston. Elie, who earned a degree in human relations from American International, speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French.
