Category: OKC Thunder Blog

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today a restructuring of the Thunder Basketball Operations department.

The Thunder promoted Troy Weaver to VP/Assistant General Manager, Rob Hennigan to Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel, Paul Rivers to Director of Minor League Operations and Basketball Technology and Brandon Barnett to Director of Minor League Scouting and Manager of Minor League Operations. The team added Michael Winger as Assistant General Manager/Legal and Administration and David Vanterpool as Pro Scout.

“We are pleased to continue to promote from within our organization while also bringing in new people who will enhance and compliment our current staff” said Presti. “The promotions for Troy, Rob, Paul and Brandon are well deserved. They are selfless workers who are extremely committed to our organization.” Presti added, “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to also add people such as Michael and David to our team; both will enhance our organization and help us grow in a positive direction.”

Weaver, who enters his third season with the Thunder organization, spent the previous two seasons as Assistant General Manager focusing on roster development and day-to-day basketball operations. Weaver joined the Thunder after spending four seasons in the Utah Jazz front office. The Maryland native began his career as a coach and spent nine seasons as a collegiate coach with Syracuse University, University of New Mexico and University of Pittsburgh before moving to the NBA.

Hennigan spent the previous two seasons as the Thunder’s Director, of College/International Player Personnel where he focused on NBA Draft preparation and assisted on the day-to-day operations of the Thunder’s front office. Prior to joining the Thunder, from 2004-2001, Hennigan spent four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs working his way from basketball operations intern  to Director of Basketball Operations.

Rivers enters his fourth season with the Thunder. He served as the Director of Basketball Administration and Technology for the past three seasons. Rivers joined the Thunder after serving as a video coordinator with the Detroit Pistons (2005-07) and the San Antonio Spurs (2004-05). He spent two years working for head Coach Tom Izzo as a member of Michigan State University’s basketball program. Rivers will oversee the operations for the Thunder’s Minor League affiliate in Tulsa.

Barnett joined the Thunder in 2008 as the team’s Manager of Minor League Operations and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Tulsa 66ers. Prior to joining the Thunder, Barnett spent two seasons at the NBA league office in New York. Barnett will oversee Minor League Scouting Operations in his new role.

Winger joins the Thunder from the Cleveland Cavaliers where he served as Director of Basketball Operations & Team Counsel.  He enjoyed five seasons with the Cavaliers in various front office capacities, working on all matters within basketball operations. Winger will focus on player contract negotiations and drafting, salary cap management, as well as other basketball legal and administrative duties.

Vanterpool joins the Thunder from CSKA in Moscow, Russia where he was most recently an assistant coach for the European power. Vanterpool enjoyed a 14-year playing career in the US and Europe, most recently with CSKA where he helped lead the team to the Russian Championship and the Russian Cup in both 2005-06 and 2006-07. He was a member of the 2006 Euroleague Championship team. The 6-4 guard, who played 27 games with the Washington Wizards during the 2000-01 season, also played professionally in Italy and China. Vanterpool will focus on Professional Scouting in the United States and Overseas.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has begun the process of negotiating with potential new naming rights partners for the Ford Center arena, team officials announced today.

The original naming rights contract allowed the team to terminate the existing agreement should an NBA franchise come to Oklahoma City.

The Thunder entered into discussions with the current naming rights partner, the Oklahoma Ford Dealers, but a new agreement could not be reached. As a result, the Thunder has now officially terminated the existing naming rights agreement and entered into a period of negotiations with other potential partners.

Until those negotiations are complete, the team will have no further public comment.

The Thunder announced its coaching staff for the 2010-11 NBA season today. Assistant coaches Mark Bryant, Maurice Cheeks, Rex Kalamian and Brian Keefe will all return to the bench for the Thunder.

Joining the current quartet of Thunder assistant coaches is newcomer Maz Trakh. Trakh, who joins the club as assistant coach/player development, brings over 20 years of basketball experience to the Thunder.

“I am thrilled to have this group of coaches back on the bench with me for the 2010-11 season,” said Thunder head Coach Scott Brooks. “Every coach brings a unique perspective on the game and provides a great support for the future development of our team. Maz is someone I have known for a long time and he brings a wealth of basketball experience.”

Trakh has spent the last five seasons coaching in Asia including a stint as head coach of Fastlink (now Zain) of Jordan where he led the team to the 2005 FIBA Asia Club Championship. Fastlink became the first Jordanian team to win the Asia Club Championship. Trakh’s coaching career spans three decades and includes stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), Korea, Lebanon and the NCAA.

Adonal Foyle, an NBA basketball player with a total of 13 seasons under his belt, announced his retirement from basketball this week.

From humble island beginnings, Adonal’s basketball talent was discovered by two Colgate University professors who brought him to the United States and laid the foundation for Foyle’s NBA basketball career spanning both coasts with the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic.

In addition to a noteworthy NBA career, Foyle’s passion to make a difference has fueled the founding of the Kerosene Lamp Foundation (KLF). Since 2005, KLF has built/refurbished basketball courts in urban areas to provide safe places to play for more than 3,000 youth. KLF’s most recent mentorship program, All-Star Student Athletes, is designed to turn promising young basketball players from Adonal’s native country of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, into successful student-athletes. Foyle was inducted into the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame for his work with KLF.

“I have loved every minute of the game,” said Foyle. “Retiring is bittersweet as my happiest memories are with the game. I’m looking forward to spending more time on humanitarian issues and mentoring the young basketball players who may need a voice of experience as they embark on their NBA careers.”

Foyle recently completed his third and final season with the Orlando Magic. Prior to that, he spent a decade with the Golden State Warriors, where he began his career as the NBA’s eighth overall draft pick. Foyle holds the Warriors’ all-time record in blocked shots (1,140) and is fifth on their all-time list for offensive rebounds and sixth for defensive rebounds.

Adonal’s education continues beyond the NBA. In addition to plans to support his Kerosene Lamp Foundation, he is finishing up his Masters Degree in Sports Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Foyle has written a poem to commemorate his love affair with basketball.

ADONAL FOYLE RETIREMENT POEM

LOVE SONG TO A GAME: NBA Retirement poem by Adonal Foyle

How should I tell thee goodbye?

What can you say about a love affair to rival that of Romeo & Juliet? This is not just some melancholy ode to a hackneyed love of mortals.

I found our love deep in the entrails of the Caribbean Sea. Love that swept me to a land where our embrace became mythical.

You showed me a world that few have dreamt of.

Colgate’s golden steeple, a sojurn where ancient teachings flooded my mind.

There in the Chenango Valley where 13 sang my soul to flight, basketball laid siege to my soul.

I do not cry for the passing of our love for it stands radiant while my brittle bones crumble through swift time.

I have known you by so many faces; I will spend my end of days recalling.

You have infected so many with the allure of riches and black gold. But I am not angry with you my love. For to a boy who was lost in the bosom of nothing you gave hope and home.

Like the flickering of a light we come and go without much fuss. So I leave you to fend off seekers, hoping they too will cherish your unyielding countenance.

As for me, I will forever live in the glare of your loving embrace. From time to time I hope you will look in on this pitiful fool.

I will miss brothers of a quilt struggling with burning lights. If I offer advice, pierce beyond the glaring lights and see the faces behind the wall. Don’t be fooled by the magicians’ nibble fingers. For this is a life with mirrors and screens. Its only truth lies in the understanding it will all end.

The sound I will take home is the symphony of thousands of screaming friends.

Warriors, Magic and yes, Memphis too, I sing you praise, hope, blessings,

Flowing from a boy’s songs of thanks to you and you and you,to all I knew.

Please stay my “immortal love.”

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed rookie Cole Aldrich. All first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract should they want to enter the NBA right away.

Aldrich averaged 11.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game during his junior campaign at the University of Kansas. The 6-11 center was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and First–Team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive season along with AP Third Team All-American as a junior.

The Bloomington, Minnesota native left KU as the school’s all-time leader in blocks in a season (125) and second on the schools all-time block list (253). Aldrich was a perfect 55-0 at Allen Fieldhouse as a Jayhawk and was a member of the 2008 National Championship team.