The Seattle SuperSonics today signed assistant coach Detlef Schrempf to a contract, Sonics General Manager Rick Sund announced.
“Detlef has been a tremendous asset to our coaching staff over the last season,” said Sund. “I’m extremely pleased he’s back with us and I know he’ll be a great benefit to our head coach Bob Hill and the rest of the organization.”
Schrempf, a former Sonics player, enjoyed a 16-year NBA career and was twice named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year (1991 and 1992). He was also selected to the NBA All-Star Game three times (1993, 1995 and 1997).
“I’m grateful for the opportunity Coach Hill and the Sonics gave me this past season and I’m excited about our team’s future,” said Schrempf, who initially joined Hill’s staff as a part-time assistant coach on Jan. 20 of this year. “The Sonics franchise and our great community have always been very special to me.”
Originally selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (eighth pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft, Schrempf tallied 15,761 points and 7,023 rebounds in 1,136 career games while playing with four teams (Dallas, Indiana, Seattle and Portland). Following three-and-a-half years in Dallas, he was traded to Indiana, where he later played for then-Pacers head coach Hill from 1991 through 1993.
Schrempf became a member of the Sonics roster on Nov. 1, 1993 when he was acquired by Seattle from Indiana for Sonics Derrick McKey and Gerald Paddio. The 6-10 forward played in 415 games over six seasons in a Sonics uniform, scored 6,870 points, grabbed 2,608 rebounds and dished out 1,652 assists (ninth on Seattle’s all-time assists list). Schrempf’s best statistical year in a Sonics uniform was 1994-95 when he averaged 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. During that season, he connected on 52.3 percent of his shots from the field (521-997) and ranked second in the NBA in three-point shooting (93-181, .514). The mark remains a Sonics franchise record. Schrempf finished his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2000-01 season.
“Having coached Detlef for a number of years as a player, I knew he had the capability to coach,” said Hill. “I’m confident in his coaching skills and look forward to him being a part of the staff.”
