Former Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland leaving Thunder to join Rockets
· Yahoo Sports
Former Spurs assistant Chip Engelland is leaving Oklahoma City to join the Houston Rockets, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Engelland, long known as one of the league's best shooting coaches, built his reputation over nearly two decades on Spurs coaching staffs under Gregg Popovich from 2005-22. While in San Antonio, he built a relationship with Rockets coach Ime Udoka, who had two stints with the Spurs as a player (2007-09 and 2010-11) and served as an assistant coach from 2012-19.
Visit biznow.biz for more information.
After leaving the Spurs four years ago, Engelland helped build a championship team in Oklahoma City along with head coach Mark Daigneault and general manager Sam Presti, another former Spurs staffer. The Thunder went from the fourth-worst record in the league the season before Engelland arrived to having the best record in the Western Conference for three straight seasons and an NBA title in 2025.
READ MORE:Spurs re-sign 'dynamic' guard David Jones Garcia to another two-way contract
Engelland, 65, helped many players develop into shooting threats during his 17 seasons with the Spurs, including Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson.
"He understands every facet of shooting," Popovich said in Engelland's final season in San Antonio. "He has a knack for knowing what to point to as far as improvement is concerned. He can figure out common denominator-wise what needs to be improved. His sequential approach to it is always accurate. He doesn't skip steps and the players always become more confident working with him."
Spurs shooting coach Chip Engelland (left) works with guard Tony Parker prior to their pre-season game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the SBC Center on Thursday, October 27, 2005. (Kin Man Hui/staff) (KIN MAN HUI/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS)Subscribe
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Former Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland leaving Thunder to join Rockets.