(CSNAP) -- The Sacramento Kings have hired NBA Hall of Famer Alex English as an assistant coach.
Coach Keith Smart said in a statement announcing the hiring Friday that having a former elite player on the staff will be especially good for the current players.
"Adding Alex to our basketball program is good for all and especially good for our players," Smart said. "He was an elite player in this league for a long time and is a very good coach. When he talks, they'll listen. His game prep and film study aspects are some of his many strong points, and that's only going to help our staff. We're trying to surround ourselves with the right people that fit our basketball team who have the ability to teach our guys and also have a firm hand to get them walking in the right direction as young men."
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The eight-time All-Star is the NBA's 13th all-time leading scorer with 25,613 points. The second-round selection of Milwaukee played two years with the Bucks (1976-78), two with the Indiana Pacers (1978-80), and 11 in Denver (1980-90) before finishing his career in 1990-91 with the Dallas Mavericks. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1997.
Prior to his time with Toronto, English served in a similar capacity with the Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04) and Atlanta Hawks (2002-03). He began his professional basketball management career in 2001-02 as the head coach of the NBA Development Leagues North Charleston (S.C.) Lowgaters, where he guided his team to a 36-20 record and a berth in the finals of the first NBDL Championship.
In 10 of his 11 seasons in Denver, he averaged better than 21 points, and in eight of those seasons scored more than 25 per contest. He led the Nuggets to nine straight playoff appearances from 1982-90, including a berth in the 1985 Western Conference Finals, and averaged 24.4 points during 10 playoff seasons. On March 2, 1993, English was honored by the Nuggets with the retirement of his uniform No. 2.