Getty Images Shaun Livingston during an NBA game.
The Golden State Warriors have added former NBA player and 3x NBA champion Shaun Livingston to their staff.
Livingston was in the NBA for 15 seasons playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, and the G-League’s Tulsa 66ers (now Oklahoma City Blue). His official title with the team will be their Director of Player Affairs and Engagement.
Stepping Into a New Role
In September 2019, Livingston retired stating, “After 15 years in the NBA, I’m excited, sad, fortunate and grateful all in one breath. Hard to put into a caption all of the emotions it takes to try and accomplish your dreams. I wasn’t supposed to be here. Anybody that has beaten the odds understands the mental and emotional strain it takes to inspire yourself on an uphill war, let alone inspire others.”
After 15 years in the NBA, I’m excited, sad, fortunate and grateful all in one breath. Hard to put into a caption all of the emotions it takes to try and accomplish your dreams. I wasn’t supposed to be here. Anybody… t.co/Qj8f3M72B1
By returning to the Warriors, his role will allow him to provide advice to players’ careers, decide on the type of programming they’ll need to steer them in the right direction and help with their development.
He discussed the role with ESPN’s Nick Fridell and stated, “I think it’s always been something that’s on the radar towards the latter part of my career,” Livingston said of a front-office role during Tuesday’s conference call with reporters. “Once I got back out west, you start thinking about the next chapter a little bit. So just throughout my career, thinking about the post-career transitioning, what it is I want to do? What are the passions? I always thought that I would have a good feel in the basketball office, so that’s kind of how it came about.”
Shaun Livingston is joining the Warriors front office as director of players affairs and engagement 👏
“Livingston … will be the highest-ranking Black person in the Warriors’ front office since Mitch Richmond in 2008,” per @ThompsonScribe
Additionally, he will work with team building, scouting, and report directly to the team’s General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Bob Meyers. All of these tasks are duties that would help progress Livingston toward his goal of eventually becoming an NBA general manager.
“I think that’s the end goal,” Livingston said. “But I know I have a ways to go, just starting out. So, again, just being able to learn the ins and outs from the ground floor up a little bit. Just kind of getting my hands dirty and really being in the mix. But also trying to provide value; I don’t ever want to hold anything back from the team or not spend time with the coaches or staff and players, if that’s going to help the team moving forward.”
When asked about the role Meyers stated that “Shaun is the epitome of class and professionalism and is everything you’d want in a teammate, both on the court and off,” said Myers. “What he helped us accomplish in his five years with the organization pales in comparison to who he is as a human being, and we can’t wait to work with him again in another capacity as a part of our basketball staff.”
Bouncing Back From Injury
Livingston is one the biggest comeback success stories within the NBA as he suffered a gruesome leg injury that derailed his original NBA trajectory.
Getty ImagesShaun Livingston and Stephen Curry during an NBA game.
Coming out of high school in 2004, he was Illinois’ Mr. Basketball Award Winner, the #1 prospect on Rivals.com, and committed to playing at Duke University. That changed when he forfeit his collegiate eligibility to instead declare for the 2004 NBA draft where he was chosen 4th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. As a 6’8 point guard with seemingly limitless potential, he suffered one of the worst basketball injuries to his knee tearing his ACL, PCL, lateral meniscus, greatly injuring his MCL, and dislocating his patella and his tibiofibular joint. He had to take a year and a half off to recover and it was believed he may never be able to play again.
Not only did Livingston return to the court but went on to play for 11 more seasons and became an NBA champion with the Warriors 3x in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
Bringing Champions To The Team
GettyShaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa celebrating during an NBA game.
This is the second addition to bring a former player onto their staff as previously the Warriors added former 6th Man of the Year Award winner, and 2015 NBA champion, Leandro Barbosa to their coaching staff making him a Player-Mentor coach (WILL LINK BARBOSA ARTICLE HERE). Their roles will crossover as they both have a significant impact on the development of players on the team and culture overall.
“In a sense of I’m coming in this first year, just trying to put my head down and really get to work on the other side of things. Just learning about the other departments, scouting, draft, of course. But then also working with the team, whether that’s working with rookies or young players or any of the players.”
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