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Kyle Korver may have played for six different teams during the course of his 17-year career, but the legendary sharpshooter’s NBA story began with the Philadelphia 76ers. So, the notion that he would transition into the coaching ranks with one of Sixers’ biggest rivals could be a tough pill to swallow for the Philly faithful.
That looks to be exactly what is transpiring, though. Per a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Korver has agreed to join Steve Nash’s staff with the Brooklyn Nets as a player development assistant.
Of course, the Sixers and the Nets battled it out for much of the 2020-21 season for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. In the end, the Sixers entered postseason play with the East’s No. 1 seed. However, they still found themselves in the same spot as the Nets when all was said and done — on the wrong end of a second-round ouster.
Playoff disappointments aside, the Nets were the best offensive team in the Association throughout the regular season. And they could get even better with Korver — one of the greatest shooters in the history of the game — lending his expertise to their cause.
Is Korver’s Playing Career Officially Over?
Although Korver didn’t play last season, there were rumblings as the year wore on that he could sign with a contender for the stretch run. The 40-year-old even alluded to the possibility of a comeback during a February interview with USA Today’s Mark Medina.
“I’ve talked to a few teams about it,” he said of making a return. “Coming out of the bubble, I believe in honoring the game. I believe you honor the season with a good offseason. Coming out of the bubble with the quick turnaround, I didn’t feel I really did that. So I don’t want to cheat the game.”
For Korver the extra time he suddenly had to spend with his family was a game-changer. However, he wasn’t ready at that time to rule out getting back onto the court.
“I’ve enjoyed being with my family, and it’s been a challenging season across the board for the league and for the players. But we’ll see. I don’t know.”
Although no official announcement has been made as of yet, Korver taking a coaching/consultant role with the Nets would seem to indicate that he’s hanging up the sneakers.
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The Philly Years
After a strong four-year run at Marquette, Korver was selected in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets; his rights were then immediately sold to the Sixers. He subsequently joined a Philly squad that was just two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance and was still being led by Allen Iverson.
He went on to play in 74 games as a rookie, displaying his incredible shooting touch along the way. Although he averaged just 4.5 points per contest, he was a 39.1% shooter from deep.
Korver broke out in year two, though, starting in 57 of his 82 games and putting up 11.5 points per night while making 40.5% of his triples. It was more of the same in 2005-06, when he matched his earlier scoring output but upped his long-range efficacy to 42.0%.
The following season was his last full year in Philly and one of the best campaigns of his career. Korver averaged a career-high 14.4 points per game that season and continued to burn the nets from deep.
After beginning year five with the Sixers, Korver was dealt to the Utah Jazz. He went on to play 12 more years with a number of teams, earning an All-Star nod with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015 and setting records from behind the arc. As of this writing, he ranks fourth in NBA history with 2,450 three-point field goals.
Meanwhile, his career three-point percentage of 42.9% ranks No. 10 all-time.
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