Kevin Durant has suggestion for next Texas basketball coach, Former Texas Longhorns Guard, Former 10yr NBA Guard, and Current NBA Assistant Coach Of The Brooklyn Nets, Royal Ivey.
The Texas Longhorns’ head basketball coach job is open, and Kevin Durant has a suggestion for the school on who to hire.
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Durant told Jeff Goodman of Stadium that he wants to see former Longhorn Royal Ivey get a shot at the job. Durant made it clear he wants to see someone with a Texas connection get the position.
Kevin Durant told me earlier today he’d like to see former Texas player Royal Ivey, who is now an NBA assistant with the Nets, get a shot at the Texas job.
Really wants to see it kept in the Texas family.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 26, 2021
Ivey and Durant never played together at Texas. However, the pair played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Ivey is currently an assistant coach with Durant’s Brooklyn Nets.
Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman thinks Ivey will at least be looked at as a candidate, but perhaps not the first choice. The new coach will be replacing Shaka Smart, who bolted for Marquette after six underwhelming seasons in Austin.
Durant attended Texas only for one year, but his loyalty has never wavered. The Longhorns have been happy to take advantage of that connection, but it hasn’t fostered a lot of notable success on the basketball side of things in recent years.
Kevin Durant wants Texas to consider Nets Assistant Coach, Royal Ivey as next head coach
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WHO IS ROYAL IVEY
NETS ADD NEW ASSISTANT IN ROYAL IVEY
Kevin Durant once called fellow Texas Longhorn Royal Ivey his “best teammate” in the NBA. And Ivey identified as a Nets fan growing up.
Not to mention he was born in Harlem, grew up in Queens and played some high school ball in New Jersey at Blair Academy. And now, he’s joined the Nets as an assistant coach, the ninth assistant coach or development assistant on rookie head coach Steve Nash’s staff. The Nets announced Ivey’s hiring Wednesday afternoon.
OFFICIAL: We’ve added Royal Ivey as an assistant coach on head coach Steve Nash’s staff. pic.twitter.com/eBIFpKivvU
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 11, 2020
Ivey, who played 10 years in the NBA including two with Durant (and Serge Ibaka) in OKC as well as a season in China. He was most recently an assistant coach with the Knicks specializing in player development. One of the few holdovers on Tom Thibodeau’s staff, he was reportedly being pursued by several teams.
A year ago, before free agency, Ivey had similar interest, from the 76ers, but the Knicks refused permission to let him talk to other teams. Instead, they reportedly gave him a raise. He was viewed as vital to New York’s pursuit of KD. Now, the two are re-united in New York … but instead of at Madison Square Garden, he’ll be on the sidelines at Barclays Center.
Royal Terence Ivey (born December 20, 1981) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns before spending 10 years in the NBA.
Ivey was born in Harlem in the Manhattan borough of New York City and started on the basketball team of Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, leading the team to its first PSAL championship. He attended Blair Academy for a post-graduate year.
Ivey played college basketball at the University of Texas at Austin, in which he finished as the school’s all-time career leader in games started (126).
Professional career
Ivey was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
On September 18, 2007, Ivey signed a one-year contract with the Bucks.
On July 24, 2008, Ivey agreed to terms with the Philadelphia 76ers.
On June 15, 2009, Philadelphia announced that Ivey declined the player option on his contract for the 2009–10 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. However, he re-signed with the 76ers in August 2009.
On February 18, 2010, Ivey was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with Primoz Brezec in exchange for Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson.
On July 21, 2010, Ivey signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He reached the NBA Finals with the Thunder in 2012, but the team lost to the Miami Heat.
On July 27, 2012, Ivey returned to the 76ers.
On September 30, 2013, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks. However, he was waived on October 25.
On January 16, 2014, he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 26, 2014, his 10-day contract expired and the Thunder chose not to offer him a second 10-day contract.
On January 29, 2014, he signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of China for rest of the 2013–14 season.
Coaching career
On September 29, 2014, Ivey was named an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League for the 2014–15 season, effectively ending his 10-year playing career.
On July 1, 2016, Ivey was elevated from a player development assistant with the Blue to an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On June 7, 2018, Ivey joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach to David Fizdale. Ivey remained with the Knicks after Fizdale’s firing and served under interim head coach Mike Miller.
On November 11, 2020, the Brooklyn Nets hired Ivey as an assistant coach under Steve Nash.
Personal life
During the 2011 NBA lockout, Ivey returned to the University of Texas to finish his degree in applied learning and development
Hawks: Behind the Numbers – Royal Ivey
Behind the Numbers: Royal Ivey
players pick a number when they are
first starting out playing their
sport, and never change it the rest
of their lives. For Hawks PG Royal Ivey, that was not the case –
necessarily.
“In high school I wore
number 12,” says Ivey, who
led Cardozo HS in Queens to
their first-ever New York
PSAL title during his senior
year before doing a post graduate year
at Blair Academy in New
Jersey.
“When I went to the
University of Texas for
college, I decided to add 12
to that to represent making
the move to the next level.”
As a four-year starter at
UT, Ivey and his No. 24 jersey
were a part of more
victories than anyone else
in school history. But when
it was time to jump to the
NBA, he had a decision to
make.
“I thought about choosing
the place I got drafted as
my number for the pros, but
I didn’t like No. 37 (which is
where he was chosen by the
Hawks in the second round of
the 2004 NBA Draft). So I
decided to stick with what I
had done at Texas, and now I
wear No. 36.”
Wearing his No. 36 jersey, Ivey
has started all but seven of
the Hawks games so far this
season and maintains an
impressive 3-1
assist-to-turnover ratio.
