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“I didn’t know anything about the (NBA) draft,’’ Tskitishvili said about his thinking in early 2002. “Then Marc Fleisher (Tskitishvili’s agent) is telling me I could be a top-10 pick. … And then people were writing articles on me that I could be like Nowitzki or Gasol and I’m just an 18-year-old kid. … I knew I was a very good, talented guy but I never talked about myself like I’m the best.” Tskitishvili had turned 19 when Denver selected him with the No. 5 pick on June 26, 2002. The Nuggets, then under second-year general manager Kiki VanDeWeghe, had dispatched a number of veterans to carve out salary-cap room for 2003.
Looking back, Tskitishvili doesn’t point the finger at anyone on the Nuggets. He said he wants to give “Kiki my flowers” because he “changed my life” even though it didn’t work out in the NBA. “I don’t call myself a bust because you were expecting a 19-year-old kid to come out there to dominate,’’ Tskitishvili said of the enormous expectations that surrounded him. “I blame myself in that I should have done better. But I didn’t have much knowledge back then. I didn’t know about hiring a coach to work with me extra hours in the gym or somebody to guide me off the court. … If you draft somebody No. 5 from Europe, you have to raise him like a child. It was like coming from a different planet.”
Jorge Sierra: Shai passed all these players in playoff scoring last night: Derrick White, Bill Cartwright, Boris Diaw, Derek Harper, Kiki Vandeweghe, Phil Chenier, Tobias Harris, Jeff Mullins, Dennis Rodman, Alvan Adams, Bob Love, Trevor Ariza, Zelmo Beaty. He's No. 216 all-time now.
Jorge Sierra: Russell Westbrook tied Kobe Bryant in steals last night and is now No. 16 in NBA history. Also: Brook Lopez moved ahead of Steve Nash in scoring for No. 95. Nikola Jokic passed Kiki Vandeweghe and Pete Maravich for No. 128.
Jorge Sierra: Chris Paul tied Kobe Bryant in three-pointers last night for No. 28 all-time. Also: Devin Booker moved ahead of Derek Harper, Rasheed Wallace, Amare Stoudemire and Kiki Vandeweghe in scoring for No. 124 in NBA history.
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“There were so many,’’ said Kiki VanDeWeghe, then the Nuggets’ general manager and now an NBA special adviser. “I’m sure I probably had a bunch and my pockets full (at the lottery).’’
Perched on a hillside in one of Los Angeles’ most booming residential areas, the edgy abode where long-retired hoopster Kiki VanDeWeghe lives is up for grabs. The Encino, CA, residence he shares with interior designer wife Peggy VanDeWeghe is on the market for $5,195,000. The listing is being handled by Michelle Schwartz and Mauricio Umansky, of The Agency.
Did you get a chance to talk to Kiki VanDeWeghe, who held the job previously, for some words of wisdom? Joe Dumars: Kiki and I talked on the phone for a long time, first week or two on the job. And then ironically [July 9], we sat at a summer league game together. We talked a long time about different aspects of the job. Just a well-rounded conversation, which was great because I enjoyed talking to Kiki. It was good. Yeah, we’ve had a couple of really good conversations about the job.
Marc J. Spears: Kiki VanDeWeghe has decided to transition from his position as the NBA’s Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations to a new role as a special advisor to Byron Spruell, the NBA’s President, League Operations. VanDeWeghe has held the EVP role since August 2015.
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Steve Popper: NBA announces that Kiki VanDeWeghe is stepping away from Exec VP role to become a special advisor to Byron Spruell.
After eight years as the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, Kiki VanDeWeghe is stepping down to transition into a league advisory role, sources told ESPN. VanDeWeghe, 63, played a significant part in modernizing the league's basketball operations during his tenure, beginning in the late months of former commissioner David Stern's tenure and continuing through the entirety of Adam Silver's current run. His role placed him on the front lines of NBA officiating, rule changes, discipline and daily communication with teams.
Tabbed for this role by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, Boylen began preparation several weeks ago. He’s a veteran of running clinics, having done so in the past for the league in various Basketball Without Borders trips and the like. Boylen’s preparation culminated with training camp-like meetings on Sunday and Monday with the coaching staff, which includes former NBA and WNBA players in the league’s coaches development program plus current G League coaches. Former Bulls Donyell Marshall and Chris Duhon are among that group, as is former Bulls assistant coach Karen Stack Umlauf.
Joe Vardon: This is different. Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's chief disciplinarian, has joined the board of directors for a cybersecurity firm, Cerberus Sentinel, according to a news release from the company. Kiki's title with the league is executive VP, basketball ops. @The Athletic
