There was a Bee article last Sunday. EMuss interviewed Elston Turner on the airplane ride to Orlando. Here is the text:
Kings notes: Musselman at work trying to craft staff
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, June 11, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C10
This was no trip to Disney World, location be darned.
Eric Musselman returned from the NBA's predraft camp in Orlando on Friday, concluding his first week on the job as the Kings' coach. Musselman said the four days were all work and no play, with his immediate objective of finding a coaching staff having gone well.
While an official announcement is expected sometime this week, Musselman wouldn't comment on whether decisions already had been made. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Grizzlies video coordinator Jason Hamm will join Musselman's staff, while the Racine Journal-Times indicated the team likely would retain assistant T.R. Dunn. Dunn did not return a call for comment.
Musselman said he had "10 to 15 serious conversations" with coaching candidates.
"There's so many quality people out there," Musselman said. "You just have to decipher which ones are best, not only for me, but maybe more importantly which guys will fit best with our guys."
Elston Turner had the first interview, coming in the informal setting of an outbound commercial plane from Sacramento. Turner, the lead assistant under Rick Adelman who was dismissed with the rest of the coaching staff, was one of three former Kings assistants whose trip to Orlando to find work was paid for by their former employer. The others were Dunn and Bubba Burrage. Turner said he hopes his history with Musselman and proven effectiveness with the current Kings' roster pays off.
When Turner was hired as a Portland assistant in 1996, he joined a staff that included the late Bill Musselman, Eric's father and a former NBA head coach who was, at the time, an assistant.
"When I got the job in Portland … the first congratulations card came from (Eric Musselman)," Turner said.
Turner -- who also coached against Eric Musselman in the CBA -- said his conversation ended with the situation left "open."
"He's trying to pull together the right mix of people," Turner said. "We'll see what happens."
Musselman said the highlight of the Orlando trip was his first "bonding" experience with Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
"It's been awesome with Geoff," Musselman said. "I don't think you could find anyone better to work with." And while Musselman has yet to greet all of his players, he is making the rounds.
"I've put calls out to all of them, and I had a real good conversation with Bonzi and a real good conversation with Ron (Artest)," Musselman said. "We had a little meeting in my office when he came to work out the other day. This is the week I'll get in touch with everybody else."
It's also the week he'll start hitting the X's and O's. Musselman, who said he hasn't decided if he'll coach the Kings' summer-league team in July, will begin preparing a playbook.
"This week, I look forward to sitting down, going through our playbook and actually going through some coaching stuff," Musselman said. "Obviously I'll have to start alone, unless I want to talk to Geoff and (vice president of basketball operations Wayne Cooper) about some of that. I'll probably just be in my office, trying to gather my thoughts."
Changing affiliates -- The Kings' affiliate in the NBA Development League has been changed from Albuquerque, N.M., to Bakersfield, the league announced this week.
"That's news to me," said Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof, who enjoyed the tie between the minor-league team and his family's hometown.
While the Albuquerque Thunderbirds won the D-League championship in their first season with a tie to the big leagues, the Kings -- who joined Phoenix, Utah, and Seattle as affiliates -- didn't send any of their players down last season. The Bakersfield Jam will be the potential breeding ground of young Kings players and those from Golden State, as the two teams are the only affiliates. The Thunderbirds will be affiliated with Phoenix, Cleveland and Indiana next season.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14264134p-15076890c.html
Kings notes: Musselman at work trying to craft staff
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, June 11, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C10
This was no trip to Disney World, location be darned.
Eric Musselman returned from the NBA's predraft camp in Orlando on Friday, concluding his first week on the job as the Kings' coach. Musselman said the four days were all work and no play, with his immediate objective of finding a coaching staff having gone well.
While an official announcement is expected sometime this week, Musselman wouldn't comment on whether decisions already had been made. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Grizzlies video coordinator Jason Hamm will join Musselman's staff, while the Racine Journal-Times indicated the team likely would retain assistant T.R. Dunn. Dunn did not return a call for comment.
Musselman said he had "10 to 15 serious conversations" with coaching candidates.
"There's so many quality people out there," Musselman said. "You just have to decipher which ones are best, not only for me, but maybe more importantly which guys will fit best with our guys."
Elston Turner had the first interview, coming in the informal setting of an outbound commercial plane from Sacramento. Turner, the lead assistant under Rick Adelman who was dismissed with the rest of the coaching staff, was one of three former Kings assistants whose trip to Orlando to find work was paid for by their former employer. The others were Dunn and Bubba Burrage. Turner said he hopes his history with Musselman and proven effectiveness with the current Kings' roster pays off.
When Turner was hired as a Portland assistant in 1996, he joined a staff that included the late Bill Musselman, Eric's father and a former NBA head coach who was, at the time, an assistant.
"When I got the job in Portland … the first congratulations card came from (Eric Musselman)," Turner said.
Turner -- who also coached against Eric Musselman in the CBA -- said his conversation ended with the situation left "open."
"He's trying to pull together the right mix of people," Turner said. "We'll see what happens."
Musselman said the highlight of the Orlando trip was his first "bonding" experience with Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
"It's been awesome with Geoff," Musselman said. "I don't think you could find anyone better to work with." And while Musselman has yet to greet all of his players, he is making the rounds.
"I've put calls out to all of them, and I had a real good conversation with Bonzi and a real good conversation with Ron (Artest)," Musselman said. "We had a little meeting in my office when he came to work out the other day. This is the week I'll get in touch with everybody else."
It's also the week he'll start hitting the X's and O's. Musselman, who said he hasn't decided if he'll coach the Kings' summer-league team in July, will begin preparing a playbook.
"This week, I look forward to sitting down, going through our playbook and actually going through some coaching stuff," Musselman said. "Obviously I'll have to start alone, unless I want to talk to Geoff and (vice president of basketball operations Wayne Cooper) about some of that. I'll probably just be in my office, trying to gather my thoughts."
Changing affiliates -- The Kings' affiliate in the NBA Development League has been changed from Albuquerque, N.M., to Bakersfield, the league announced this week.
"That's news to me," said Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof, who enjoyed the tie between the minor-league team and his family's hometown.
While the Albuquerque Thunderbirds won the D-League championship in their first season with a tie to the big leagues, the Kings -- who joined Phoenix, Utah, and Seattle as affiliates -- didn't send any of their players down last season. The Bakersfield Jam will be the potential breeding ground of young Kings players and those from Golden State, as the two teams are the only affiliates. The Thunderbirds will be affiliated with Phoenix, Cleveland and Indiana next season.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14264134p-15076890c.html
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