The NBA and WNBA have a lot in common. |
The WNBA and NBA aren�t so far apart. Many fans cheer on both leagues, players support each other, referees have worked in both leagues and coaches have crossed over as well. Michael Cooper recently made news when he was named interim head coach of the Denver Nuggets, thus becoming the first former WNBA head coach to become a head coach in the NBA. After much success as a player for the Lakers in the 1980�s, Cooper�s Los Angeles Sparks teams excelled and won back to back titles in 2001 and 2002. Another example in Detroit has ex-Bad Boys and Pistons� teammates Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn coaching the Shock.
Even in Charlotte, several coaches and front office personnel got their start in the WNBA, played an integral role in the League�s development and continue to contribute to both the men�s and women�s game.
We start with none other than Bernie Bickerstaff. The Bobcats general manager and head coach has been around the NBA for nearly 30 years, but he first arrived in Charlotte as a key figure for the Sting. He was named the Sting�s GM on February 13, 2003 and worked alongside head coach Trudi Lacey to assemble a team that went 18-16 in 2003, good for a second place finish in the Eastern Conference and a berth in the WNBA Playoffs.
�That was my first experience with women�s basketball,� commented Bickerstaff on his time spent with the Sting. �The women�s game is beautiful to watch.�
Gary Kloppenburg |
Another front office executive who has had an impact on the WNBA is Peter Smul, executive vice president of business operations and chief financial officer. Smul spent eight years working in the league office in New York, during which time he was a key member of the management team that launched the WNBA. Smul also helped identify and negotiate with WNBA expansion cities and was responsible for developing the WNBA business model that allowed teams to be owned by individual owners.
�Peter was the perfect person to shepherd those tasks,� said WNBA President Val Ackerman in a Charlotte Business Journal article last summer. �He�s thorough and attentive to detail. That�s what these kinds of jobs entail.�
While Smul was helping to shape the league off the court, Charlotte Bobcats assistant coach Gary Kloppenburg shaped teams on the court. Prior to joining the Bobcats, Kloppenburg spent four years on the sidelines in the WNBA. As an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm for three seasons, Kloppenburg had the opportunity to work with Seattle�s #1 draft picks Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. He also spent a season as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Mercury.
�I really enjoyed working with the women,� said Kloppenburg of his experience in the WNBA. �Because of the short season, the women are always working really hard to improve their game. The shorter season also creates a lot more intensity to the games, making the WNBA more like a college season than the NBA.�
Equipment Manager James "Mack" McCullough |
Equipment manager James �Mack� McCullough is another individual who works on both sides of the ball. Currently working with the Bobcats and the visiting NBA teams, Mack also serves as the Sting�s equipment manager, a job he has held since the team�s inception in 1997.
�I enjoy working with both teams,� commented Mack. �I�ve had the pleasure to work with some great players like Dawn Staley and Emeka Okafor. I�ve also really enjoyed working with both Trudi Lacey and Bernie Bickerstaff.�
WNBA experience also dots the resumes of the Bobcats broadcast team. Play-by-play announcer Matt Devlin handled broadcasting duties for the New York Liberty and served as the voice for regular season and playoff WNBA broadcasts on NBATV. Additionally, sideline reporter Stephanie Ready spent last season as an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics. During her stint with the Mystics, the team finished with a 17-17 record and advanced to the 2004 WNBA Playoffs.
�It was a different experience working with women,� said Ready who also has worked as an assistant coach with the NBDL. �It was wonderful though. Women�s basketball has come a long ways. It�s amazing that some cities have such a fan following.�
Finally, we can�t forget Ed Tapscott, president and chief operating officer for the Bobcats, Sting and C-SET. He�s also a big fan of the Sting and a season ticket holder. In fact, his new year�s resolution was to continue to build interest and generate ticket sales for the Sting.
