Sports

Oklahoma basketball hires NBA star as assistant general manager

He will support Oklahoma’s ‘player personnel and strategic roster management planning,’ according to the program.

‘As someone who grew up in Norman and played at the University of Oklahoma, stepping into the role of assistant GM for OU Basketball is a huge honor,’ Young said in the announcement. ‘This program has such a rich history, which I am fortunate to have been and continue to be a part of. In my new role, my focus is on helping contribute to OU’s winning culture, working alongside the coaching staff and front office to bring in the right players to help us compete and succeed at the highest level.’

Young, who played one season for the Sooners in 2017-18, was the first true freshman to ever lead college basketball in both points (27.4) and assists (8.7) per game. He was then selected No. 5 overall in the 2018 NBA draft, and has since been selected to four All-Star games.

The Norman, Oklahoma, native has been a huge proponent of giving back to the community he grew up in, also giving a $4 million donation to the City of Norman to build the Young Family Athletic Center, a 122,000-square foot, multi-athletic gymnasium.

Young joins Curry as the only active NBA players to actively work in college basketball, as both now serve as assistant general manager for their alma maters, Oklahoma and Davidson, respectively.

The 26-year-old point guard is averaging 24.1 points and an NBA-leading 11.5 assists per game this season. The Hawks are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings and are looking to move out of the NBA play-in with the playoffs looming. He recently became the youngest player in NBA history to record 12,000 career points and 4,500 assists.

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