Tag: Royal Ivey

Rockets assistant Royal Ivey coaches South Sudan to 2024 Olympics

Led by #Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, South Sudan recently clinched a spot in the 2024 Olympics. It’s the young nation’s first Olympic berth in any team sport.

The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s youngest nation and Africa’s 54th country on July 9, 2011. Until 2019, there wasn’t an indoor basketball arena in the country.

But that’s when former NBA player Luol Deng became president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation. With Deng’s  connections to the NBA and G League, he brought players such as the Los Angeles Lakers’ Wenyen Gabriel and G League MVP Carlik Jones to visit the new country, all while recruiting other talented players and coaches to join them.

One of those recruited was Royal Ivey, who is now an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has more:

Three summers ago, Deng tapped former NBA player and longtime friend Royal Ivey to be the team’s head coach. Ivey, an assistant with the Rockets, started practices on concrete floors and outdoor courts that were sometimes flooded.

As a result of a 101-78 victory over Angola at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, South Sudan’s Bright Stars have secured Africa’s lone 2024 Olympics bid. It’s the nation’s first Olympic berth in any sport.

According to Windhorst, the success comes “with a team filled with refugees and the children of refugees from the war-torn nation.”

Ivey, who mentored Deng over two decades ago when he arrived at the same high school in New Jersey, said after his team clinched:

It’s been a humbling journey. I had heartaches, I have a lot of ebbs and flows, and it’s a great feeling right now. A year ago we were practicing outside with eagles flying around while we were practicing and the courts were flooded. Like to go from there to come and play in front of these fans in the Philippines (Manila), and I’m on cloud nine right now.

Read on for an assortment highlights, interviews and postgame reaction from Manila, including remarks from Ivey. South Sudan finished its 2023 FIBA World Cup run with a 3-2 record.

Updated 2023-2024 Houston Rockets roster, salaries after free agency

After an extremely busy 2023 free agency, here’s an updated look at the #Rockets roster and salaries entering the 2023-24 NBA season.

When we last saw the Houston Rockets play a regular-season game in April, they were one of the NBA’s youngest teams and directed by a relatively unproven head coach in Stephen Silas.

The situation has changed significantly in the months since. Ime Udoka replaced Silas as head coach and brought in his own staff of assistants, while general manager Rafael Stone spent more than $60 million in 2023 free agency to sign veteran players Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and Jock Landale.

Those veterans will surround Houston’s young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and newly drafted 2023 rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.

As of early August, here’s an updated look at where things stand with the Rockets’ coaching staff and roster of players entering the 2023-24 NBA season. Many of the team’s newcomers will not have their jersey numbers revealed until closer to training camp, which is scheduled to start in early October.

Height and weight information is from NBA.com, while salary details are from HoopsHype figures. Ages are as of Aug. 1, 2023.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka officially announces coaching staff

#Rockets head coach Ime Udoka announced Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Tiago Splitter, Cam Hodges, and Mike Moser as his assistants for the 2023-24 season.

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On Monday, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka announced his staff for the 2023-24 NBA season. Joining the team as assistant coaches are Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Tiago Splitter, Cam Hodges and Mike Moser.

Sullivan was an assistant coach with Boston the past two seasons, including on Udoka’s staff in 2021-22. Prior to joining the Celtics, Sullivan spent seven seasons as an assistant on Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta and Milwaukee. He helped the Bucks win the championship in 2020-21. Sullivan began his NBA career as an assistant video coordinator with San Antonio after being recommended by Udoka, who was then an assistant with the Spurs.

Ivey joins the Rockets from Brooklyn, where he spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach, including alongside Udoka on Steve Nash’s staff in 2020-21. After finishing his 10-year NBA career, Ivey became an assistant coach for Oklahoma City’s G League affiliate, the Blue. He transitioned into an assistant coach role for the Thunder and was also an assistant coach with his hometown Knicks. Ivey completed his career at the University of Texas as the school’s all-time leader in starts.

Jackson spent the past two seasons as a player enhancement coach for Boston. The Portland native played overseas following his collegiate career at USC and Saint Mary’s. Jackson was a graduate manager for Hawaii men’s team in 2018-19 before taking an internship with the Spurs’ video department.

Splitter spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Nets and worked alongside Udoka in 2020-21. Following a standout playing career in Spain, Splitter joined the Spurs in 2010-11 and started 18 playoff games during their championship run in 2013-14. He has been an assistant coach for the Brazilian national team and served as head coach of their under-23 squad.

Hodges was a coaching associate for the Los Angeles Clippers for the past three seasons after serving as player development coach for Philadelphia in 2019-20 when Udoka was an assistant. He also worked three seasons as a player development assistant for the Spurs. Hodges, who served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve, played overseas before interning with the Erie Bayhawks in the G League.

Moser was a player enhancement coach for Boston last season after serving as an assistant coach for the Oregon Ducks women’s team in 2021-22. As a redshirt senior for Oregon, he earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention. Moser played overseas for several years with stops in Lithuania, Israel, Kosovo, Qatar, Finland and France.

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Ime Udoka hires Royal Ivey as first assistant coach for Rockets

For the 2023-24 season, Nets assistant Royal Ivey is leaving Brooklyn (per @espn_macmahon) to join Ime Udoka’s new-look coaching staff in Houston. #Rockets

Days after an ESPN report initially linked Nets assistant Royal Ivey to a similar job with the Houston Rockets, it seems new head coach Ime Udoka was able to close the deal. Udoka and Ivey had worked together in Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season under Steve Nash.

“Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey will be joining Ime Udoka’s staff with the Rockets, sources told ESPN,” Tim MacMahon tweeted Thursday morning. “Ivey, who played college ball at Texas, has strong relationships with players across the league.”

On paper, it’s a strong hire for Udoka, who was able to lure an assistant coach from an Eastern Conference playoff team to Houston in what is effectively a lateral move. With the hire, Ivey becomes the first confirmed assistant for Udoka’s new-look Rockets staff.

Ivey, 41, does have ties to Texas, having played at the University of Texas from 2000 through 2004. A defensive-minded guard, Ivey played for four NBA teams over an 11-year playing career before transitioning to coaching in 2014. After that, he worked as an assistant for the Nets, New York Knicks, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Other coaches potentially linked to the Udoka’s staff include John Lucas and Mahmoud Abdelfattah from last season’s crop of Houston assistants under Stephen Silas, as well as Ben Sullivan and Aaron Miles from Boston (where Udoka was the head coach in 2021-22).

Because the Celtics are still playing in the 2023 playoffs, any potential hire from that staff is likely to wait until their season concludes.

Former Hornets head coach James Borrego, once an assistant alongside Udoka for San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, could also be an option. However, because Borrego has interviewed for multiple current vacancies at head coach, he’s likely to allow those processes to play out before turning his focus to any assistant possibilities.

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Nets’ Royal Ivey joining Houston Rockets’ coaching staff

Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey is leaving Brooklyn to join the Houston Rockets’ coaching staff, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey is going to the Houston Rockets to be part of Ime Udoka’s coaching staff, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Ivey had been an assistant for the Nets since the 2020-21 season when Steve Nash was the head coach in Brooklyn.

As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Tuesday, Ivey was drawing interest from the Rockets due to Udoka and Ivey having worked together during Udoka’s one season in Brooklyn in 2020-21. It looks like Nets’ head coach Jacque Vaughn is doing a complete overhaul of his coaching staff now that four assistants will not be returning to Brooklyn for the upcoming 2023-24 season: Ivey, Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe, and Tiago Splitter.

Vaughn has recently brought in former Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Jay Hernandez to be part of the coaching staff. Scotto also reported that the Nets have interest in Will Weaver, James Borrego, and Ronnie Burrell. It looks like Brooklyn’s coaching staff will be markedly different going into next season.

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Nets’ Royal Ivey drawing interest from the Houston Rockets

Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey is drawing interest from the Houston Rockets, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey is drawing interest from the Houston Rockets to be part of head coach Ime Udoka’s coaching staff, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. As Scotto notes, Ivey and Udoka worked together during the 2020-21 season as part of then-head coach Steve Nash’s coaching roster.

Ivey has been coaching in the NBA since 2014 when he broke into the coaching ranks as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League. Since then, Ivey has been on coaching staffs for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New York Knicks, the Nets, and for the South Sudan national basketball team.

Before getting into coaching, Ivey played in the NBA from 2004 to 2014 after being the 37th overall pick in the 2004 draft out of the University of Texas. He played for five teams during his 10-year career, including the Thunder who he eventually ended up coaching for while he was trying to rise up the ranks.

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Rockets eyeing Brooklyn’s Royal Ivey, Boston’s Ben Sullivan and Aaron Miles as assistant coaches

Brooklyn’s Royal Ivey, along with Boston’s Ben Sullivan and Aaron Miles, are among the potential pool of NBA assistant coaches for Ime Udoka in Houston, @MikeAScotto reports. #Rockets

Previous reports indicated Houston’s John Lucas and Mahmoud Abdelfattah, along with Boston’s Ben Sullivan, could be among the pool of assistants being considered for the staff of new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.

Now, new reporting by HoopsHype’s NBA insider Michael Scotto indicates Sullivan and two other assistants with previous links to Udoka — Aaron Miles from the Celtics, where Udoka was the head coach in 2021-22, and Royal Ivey of the Brooklyn Nets, where Udoka was an assistant in the 2020-21 season — could be in play.

Scotto writes:

While the Rockets will look to reunite with (James) Harden in free agency, Houston is preparing to target potential assistant coaches to join Ime Udoka’s staff.

Keep an eye on Celtics assistant coaches Aaron Miles and Ben Sullivan and Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey to be courted by the Rockets as candidates for Udoka’s staff, league sources told HoopsHype.

Udoka and Ivey spent time together as assistants in Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season, while Miles and Sullivan were assistants on Udoka’s staff in Boston a year later.

Ivey is 41 years old, while Miles is 40 and Sullivan is 39.

Sullivan and Udoka are believed to have a close relationship, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC, Houston’s NBC affiliate.

“Both grew up in the Portland, Oregon, area and are connected through the Spurs, where Sullivan was a video coordinator thanks to a suggestion from Udoka,” Alexander writes. “Udoka and Sullivan’s previous boss, Mike Budenholzer, both coached under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, and Udoka hired Sullivan away from Budenholzer’s Milwaukee Bucks staff. Sullivan is currently in a good situation with the Celtics but is an intriguing name to watch, based on the relationship.”

As for Miles, he worked as a Warriors player development coach from 2019 until 2021, which is when Udoka hired him as a Celtics assistant. He was a college point guard at Kansas from 2001 to 2005 before a lengthy professional career, which included several international stops and a brief stint in Golden State (2005-06).

Ivey has ties to Texas, having played in college at the University of Texas from 2000 through 2004. A defensive-minded guard, Ivey played for four NBA teams over an 11-year playing career before transitioning to coaching in 2014. Since then, he’s worked as an assistant for the Nets, New York Knicks, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

There is no set timetable for Udoka to name his full staff for the 2023-24 season. However, an assistant typically leads Houston’s squad at the NBA Summer League, and practices for those begin shortly after the NBA’s draft night. This year, the draft is on June 22, so expect at least some members of Udoka’s staff to be known by then.

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Texas Basketball: Early candidates to replace Chris Beard

Where does Texas go next?

Texas officially parted ways with men’s basketball coach Chris Beard on Thursday following his arrest on assault charges early in December. Continue reading “Texas Basketball: Early candidates to replace Chris Beard”

Every player in Philadelphia 76ers history who has worn No. 12

Here is a list of all 30 players who have worn the No. 12 uniform in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s summertime in the NBA, so it’s time to learn some history. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the older franchises in the NBA. Their history dates to the 1949-50 season.

With that longevity, the team has had hundreds of players come through the City of Brotherly Love. Sixers Wire looks at the No. 13, which has been worn by 30 of those players in the history of the franchise.

This running series will go through all of the uniform numbers worn in franchise history. The previous edition of this series was a list compiling the five players who have worn the No. 13.

Here is the list of the 30 who have worn No. 12 in Sixers history:

Report: Texas ex, Brooklyn Nets assistant interviews for head coach job

Texas basketball has an opening at head coach after Shaka Smart left for Marquette. According to ESPN, Royal Ivey interviewed for the job.

For the first time since the 2014-2015 season, someone not named Shaka Smart will be running Texas’ basketball program. Smart accepted the Marquette job on Friday after failing to win an NCAA Tournament win with the Longhorns in six seasons.

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has immediately started his coaching search, with names such as Texas Tech’s Chris Beard and Oregon’s Dana Altman being thrown around. The third and final name on our possible replacements for Smart, Royal Ivey, reportedly received an interview.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Ivey interviewed for the open head coaching job on Sunday.

While he does not have any head coaching experience, at the NBA or college level, Ivey is a former player and a member of the 2003 Final Four team. He has worked as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, and now the Brooklyn Nets.

Shelburne is also reporting Ivey’s hiring has the support of the Longhorns’ basketball alumni. Kevin Durant, who is currently with the Brooklyn Nets, is the name that pops out.

 

While Ivey may not be the attractive hire that Texas fans are looking for, he would have the opportunity to build the program up over time. The backing of some of the Longhorns’ most prominent players would help as well. Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, and D.J. Augustin could all help from a recruiting aspect.

Brooklyn is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers. If Ivey decides to finish out the season with the Nets, the NBA Finals could end as late as July 22.