logo
Mike Bibby is already bringing in former NBA players' sons as he begins rebuilding Sacramento State

Mike Bibby is already bringing in former NBA players' sons as he begins rebuilding Sacramento State

Yahoo01-04-2025

Mike Bibby is already bringing in former NBA players' sons as he begins rebuilding Sacramento State
FILE - Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby stands on the court as time runs out during an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, on April 4, 2007, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Mike Bibby, center, is introduced as the new head basketball coach of Sacramento State during an NCAA college basketball press conference, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley)
Mike Bibby, center, is introduced as the new head basketball coach of Sacramento State during an NCAA college basketball press conference, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley)
FILE - Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby stands on the court as time runs out during an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, on April 4, 2007, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Mike Bibby, center, is introduced as the new head basketball coach of Sacramento State during an NCAA college basketball press conference, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Mike Bibby and Shaquille O'Neal are going to be mixing it up again, all these years later.
No more Kings-Lakers rivalry or on-court trash talk. Now, it's Bibby the college coach and O'Neal the student-athlete father.
Advertisement
Good thing they get along great these days — because Shaq's son, Shaqir, verbally committed to play for Bibby in the former Kings star's new position as head coach at Sacramento State.
'Me and Shaq have a good relationship. It probably wasn't good when we were playing against each other,' Bibby said with a grin when formally introduced at the school Tuesday. 'There was a lot of try to get a rivalry going, try to make it big time in the league.'
Don't be surprised if more NBA players' sons wind up in California's capital with one of the most beloved stars to come through the Sacramento franchise. Bibby's phone hasn't stopped ringing since he was hired last week to take over the program. He doesn't even have time anymore to take his daily naps.
The 46-year-old Bibby is ready to lead the Hornets back into contention in the Big Sky Conference right away after they finished 7-25 last season.
Advertisement
'How awesome is this, look at our new head coach,' athletic director Mark Orr said. 'Today's introduction of Coach Bibby marks a successful turn of events here at Sacramento State over the last couple years. Our university is certainly on the rise.'
Bibby retired in 2012 and has had various coaching jobs since. He won five state titles and coached 25 players who received college scholarships in six seasons as coach at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix. He also has been an assistant for the Puerto Rican National Team, summer league teams for Cleveland and Memphis, and the NBA G-League Ignite.
'Mike isn't just a basketball legend, he's a Sacramento legend,' Sacramento State President Dr. Luke Wood said. "The city embraced him during his NBA years and he's returning that love by choosing to lead our program. He understands the spirit of this place, the grit, the underdog mentality, the pride and determination and he's ready to build something that's special right here at Sacramento State. With Coach Bibby at the helm we are raising the bar.'
Orr said he received inquiries about the job from NBA-level coaches on down, 'and I kept coming back to one of the greatest basketball minds that this city has ever seen. He loves this community and wants to be here.'
Advertisement
And Bibby wants to leave a lasting mark and build something special here. He knows the student-athletes will look to him as an example of someone who has been at the top.
'I'm not satisfied with just being here. I don't want to let the city down and I'm going to do my hardest not to," Bibby said. "These kids are trying to get to where I've been, and why not get it from someone that's been there before?'
Bibby won an NCAA championship as a player at Arizona in 1997 and then starred in the NBA for 14 seasons, with his most successful stint coming during seven seasons with the Kings. He helped Sacramento reach Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals before losing to O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bibby's players can't wait to get going.
Advertisement
'He's a legend, and I think the city needs somebody that's going to reflect it culturally,' senior guard EJ Neal said. 'He's an icon in Sacramento.'
Bibby is ready to teach — 'Everything has to be precise. We do it hard or we do it again."
He plans to schedule top non-conference opponents — 'They'll overlook us.'
He has no doubt the Hornets will win immediately — 'I have plans of taking this conference by storm.'
'Having a coach come in here to teach us and to try and push us and hold us accountable so we can get better and get to that position where he was I think is the biggest thing,' senior forward Jalen Pitre said.
Advertisement
Even with all of that confidence and swag, Bibby was clearly a bit emotional and overcome by this full-circle moment.
'I'm lost for words right now, I'm nervous as you guys can tell,' Bibby said. 'I'm just ready, I've been ready for this for a long time.'
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Man City signs left back Aït-Nouri from Wolves ahead of Club World Cup
Man City signs left back Aït-Nouri from Wolves ahead of Club World Cup

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Man City signs left back Aït-Nouri from Wolves ahead of Club World Cup

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City signed Algeria left back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton for a reported fee of 37 million euros ($42 million) on Monday. City has been deploying center backs Nathan Ake and, more recently, Josko Gvardiol at left back in recent seasons but now has a specialist option in Aït-Nouri, who is a very attacking full back. Advertisement The 23-year-old Aït-Nouri joined Wolves from French team Angers in 2020. His contract at City runs to 2030 and he will be available for the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City is in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18. ___ AP soccer:

Chet Holmgren Is On The Hot Seat After Game 1 Stinker Against Pacers
Chet Holmgren Is On The Hot Seat After Game 1 Stinker Against Pacers

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Chet Holmgren Is On The Hot Seat After Game 1 Stinker Against Pacers

Chet Holmgren Is On The Hot Seat After Game 1 Stinker Against Pacers originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder got their hearts broken in the final seconds of Game 1 in the NBA Finals as Tyrese Haliburton nailed a mid-range game-winner to seal the Pacers' 111-110 win. The Thunder led the game from the tip-off until there were 0.4 seconds left on the clock, and were major favorites to win the game. Advertisement One of the reasons why they were considered favorites to win this series was not just because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but the Thunder's 'Big Three', i.e, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. While Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander have had a consistent Playoff run this season, Holmgren's has been a bit of a roller coaster. He had two 20-point+ games in the Grizzlies series, none in the Nuggets series (mainly due to Jokic's matchup), three in the Timberwolves series, and has started with a 6-point game against the Pacers in Game 1. The former No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft has averaged 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 17 games of the 2025 playoffs so far. Holmgren went two of nine from the floor and did not make a single three-point shot in the game. Several fans, along with troll account admins, went on social media to put Holmgren in a 'hot seat' and criticize his Game 1 performance. "Chet Holmgren, you are disappointing," wrote an NBA fan on X. Advertisement "Chet Holmgren should not be able to fly under the radar for being ASS on the big stage," wrote another unhappy fan on X. "Chet Holmgren if he wasn't 7'1" was the caption of a meme that showed Holmgren as a McDonald's worker. "Chet Holmgren is 8ft tall for nothing, WTF" wrote another surprised basketball fan on X. "Chet Holmgren pulled up like this just to go 2/9 and get benched in crunch time," wrote BricksCenter, a satirical rip-off of SportsCenter meant to be a troll account. Shaquille O'Neal: Not Impressed With Chet Holmgren Earlier this week, Shaquille O'Neal went on the Pivot Podcast and gave his honest opinion about the Thunder. He blamed the NBA media for hyping up Holmgren too fast before he reached star status and is currently a role player at best. Advertisement 'We're all responsible for this, we give away too many titles sometimes. They got a big two, that mo***rf***ker Jay Dub is serious, he can play. The other guy's just a role player, stop it… But he's a great role player. He's a Horace Grant or Tony Kukoc, not taking away, but he's not a big three, stop it, stop it'. O'Neal believes that Holmgren is yet to prove that he is a part of a 'Big Three' in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards, during their series with the Timberwolves, called Holmgren the game-changer for the Thunder. Therefore, a lot of expectations are riding on Holmgren's shoulders. Next summer, Holmgren will be up for an extension. His performance in this series and the next season could decide how big a contract he gets from the Thunder. Since he will be competing with Williams for contracts expected to be in the range of $240 million+ and more, depending on factors like All-NBA selections. Will Holmgren be able to turn things around after a rough start against the Pacers? Or will Myles Turner be too tough a match-up for him, like Jokic was? It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for Holmgren. Advertisement Related: "It's Not Rocket Science": Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reacts After Tyrese Haliburton Steals Game 1 For Pacers This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Feels Chet Holmgren Will Be "That Guy" For Thunder After Game 2 Win: "You Don't Have To Worry"
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Feels Chet Holmgren Will Be "That Guy" For Thunder After Game 2 Win: "You Don't Have To Worry"

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Feels Chet Holmgren Will Be "That Guy" For Thunder After Game 2 Win: "You Don't Have To Worry"

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Feels Chet Holmgren Will Be "That Guy" For Thunder After Game 2 Win: "You Don't Have To Worry" originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one player who has come under the spotlight from the Thunder in this season's Playoffs is Chet Holmgren. From scoring 23 points in 18 minutes to put away Game 3 of the Grizzlies series in the first round, to being the special player that impressed Anthony Edwards and helped the Thunder beat the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Advertisement Holmgren bounced back after a rough Game 1 (where he had only six points) and scored 15 points in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Following the Thunder's 123-107 win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to Scott Van Pelt of ESPN about how the team reassures their faith in Chet without even needing to say anything to him. 'The special thing about Chet is nobody said anything to him. Yeah, he's such a competitor, and he gets lost in the competition, and I think he's the best version of himself now. He's going to go out there and make mistakes just like the rest of us. But his intentions, his intangibles, his skill set, and the things you just can't teach that he does on a basketball court, well, they'll take over. As long as he continues to have that right mindset, which he does 99.999% of the time. You don't have to worry about Chet, he's going to be that guy.' Does Chet Holmgren Belong In OKC's Big Three? Following Game 4 of the Thunder's series against the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards claimed that it was Chet Holmgren who was the X factor for the Thunder's win. He was thoroughly impressed with Holmgren, despite karma eventually catching up with Edwards. Advertisement Such performances propelled his name into the discussion alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to be the OKC's next big three. However, Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA legend, feels that the NBA media is being hasty in awarding him that title. He even said that Holmgren is at best a role player but hasn't yet done enough to be in the 'Big Three' status. 'We're all responsible for this, we give away too many titles sometimes. They got a big two, that mo***rf***ker Jay Dub is serious, he can play. The other guy's just a role player, stop it… But he's a great role player. He's a Horace Grant or Tony Kukoc, not taking away, but he's not a big three, stop it, stop it', said O'Neal in an appearance on the Pivot Podcast. Holmgren missed a significant portion of this season due to injury. But in the Playoffs, he's been pivotal to the OKC as he provides size inside the paint and is a potential threat to stretch the floor. He has averaged 15.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 18 games in the 2025 playoffs. Despite his pivotal inputs into the team's success, I will have to agree with O'Neal here and say that Holmgren has not done enough to say that he's among the top centers in the NBA at the moment and hence does not form a "Big Three" with the Thunder's star duo, Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander. Advertisement Related: "You Can't Get Too Comfortable": Shai Gilgeous-Alexander On Thunder's Next Steps After Game 2 Win In NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store