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The Sacramento Kings pursuit of Chris Mullin came to a conclusion today when the team formally introduced the NBA Hall of Famer as an Advisor to the Chairman.
“Chris has been helping me throughout this process,” co-owner and chairman Vivek Ranadivé told members of the media. “And I was finally able to twist his arm and convince him to become a full-fledged member of this organization.”
Mullin will advise Ranadivé on everything from arena issues, to who to hire as the teams next strength and conditioning coach. After spending the last three seasons as an analyst for ESPN, Mullin is looking forward to getting back into management side of the game as a consigliere of sorts to both ownership and basketball ops.
“The NBA is an ever changing business,” said Mullin. “Vivek and his group are so intelligent. So ahead of the curve with the software and technology. They’re thinking years ahead. I think our job on the basketball side, is to take care of that team.”
The position Mullin is filling is similar to the role that NBA legend Jerry West holds with the Golden State Warriors. Like West, Mullin brings a new level of NBA experience to a management team that is still only a few months old. He will work side-by-side with longtime friend and new Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro and his staff.
Mullin hopes to further the culture change that is currently taking place in Sacramento and according to him, it starts with better habits. As a member of both the 1984 Olympic team and the original 1992 Dream Team that took home gold medals, Mullin saw first hand how the NBA’s elite players worked to achieve greatness.
“Being around that great group of players and people, there was a common thread through all of them,” Mullin said of his Olympic experience. “They worked their tails off. They were diligent. Their work ethic was above and beyond any other players I have been around and they were also willing to check their egos and be part of a team.”
Ranadivé was quick to point out that the culture change in Sacramento has already begun.
“We have people voluntarily showing up and practicing, long before they’re required to,” said Ranadivé. “So we’re seeing that change in thinking and culture.”
From Ranadivé’s story of DeMarcus Cousins running wind sprints with coach Michael Malone, to Jason Thompson announcing he is on his way to Sacramento late last week, plenty of Kings are showing at the team’s practice facility weeks before the start of training camp.
For Mullin, this is a full-time gig and he is ready to get to work. He promised to be in Sacramento almost everyday, adding that he lives only an hour away.
“I love coming to the gym,” a passionate Mullin added. “I love watching young players develop. I love watching teams improve on a daily basis. So they might have to tell me to stay home a few days, because I’ll be here.”
While he is late to the party, Mullin has been working with Ranadivé on and off all summer and has long standing relationships with D’Alessandro and Malone. Integrating him into the new Kings system should be relatively easy.
“That bond and that chemistry is there,” Mullin said.
-On a side not to today’s press conference, Ranadivé was noticeably bruised on the left side of his face. He quickly put rumors to rest this afternoon with this tweet and pic.
Bike crash for all those in Sac wondering if Petey took a swipe at me pic.twitter.com/TSfAyiJDkJ
— Vivek Ranadivé (@Vivek) September 10, 2013
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