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Three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, introduced Friday as a basketball operations associate at the Denver Nuggets, was not seeking to enter the NBA's management when the president of the basketball operations of the United States. The team, Tim Connelly, called this fall's match "for his goals.
Shortly after Bird drove the Seattle Storm beyond the Washington Mystics at the WNBA finals, Connelly contacted him through a common friend – the "best friend". Longtime NBA striker, Caron Butler, a Bird contemporary at the University of Connecticut who was playing for Connelly with the Wizards before Connelly moved to Denver.
Bird, who plans to return for his 17th WNBA season at age 38, was soon sold.
"It was really a perfect match because here they give me this incredible opportunity but also understand that I'm still a player," said Bird, the WNBA's leading aids. "I still have a season and I'm still getting ready for that – it's just, for me personally, the best of both worlds."
Since retiring from playing overseas during the WNBA's off-season, Bird has taken advantage of the winter to learn about possible careers after the game. For example, she has broadcast women's college basketball games for ESPN. She thought, however, that to become a coach or an avant-garde she would have to wait until the end of her career.
"I never thought of myself in a place where to really look for it because I was still playing," Bird said. "I should not stay here and say that it was my final goal, but of course, coaching always went through my mind, of course what it takes to build a championship team now that I'm part of it, there's always spirit. "
Bird joins a handful of women to move from the WNBA to the NBA. Rival leader Becky Hammon is in her fifth season as assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, having started in a similar role before being hired full-time. Jenny Boucek, former coach of Bird in Seattle, was assistant coach of the Sacramento Kings and now the Dallas Mavericks. And this year's finalists, Kristi Toliver, was named the Witch's Assistant Coach for Player Development last month.
Bird began discussing a role with Connelly before the start of the season and went to Denver last month to meet with home office members. She joins the Nuggets team with a good start. At 10-5, the Nuggets came in third in the Western Conference standings Friday, with the fourth-youngest NBA squad being weighted by the minutes played this season.
As a result, Bird sees a comparison between Denver and the young Storm team, which went from a low of .500 in 2017 to the WNBA championship in 2018.
"I just think what they have to do is really exciting to be part of it," Bird said. "It reminds me a little bit of what I've actually experienced in the last two years, The Storm has been rebuilt, it's not that Denver was rebuilding it, but suddenly you blink." and a few years go by, you have this big, young and talented group that is trying to make some noise.With that, you have this older player.Of course, it was me for the Storm.For Denver, this is Paul is [Millsap].
"It's fun to be part of something that's about to make a breakthrough." "It's a bit like that I see the Nuggets." There will be ups and downs, as each season but that's how I see them, it's exciting. "
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