The Breakers have officially confirmed Dan Shamir as their new 'Director of Basketball' for the upcoming 2019/20 season.
As reported by Newshub earlier this month, Shamir effectively replaces Kevin Braswell as the head coach, who the club says they've now parted ways with just one year into a three-year deal.
Braswell led the four-time NBL champions to a 12-16 record last season to miss playoff basketball for the second time in five seasons.
The 44-year-old Shamir has a host of experience coaching at the top level in Europe, most notably in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv - where he won consecutive Euroleague titles as an assistant in 2004 and 2005 - and Hapoel Holon, who he led to victory last year in the Israeli Cup.
He served an apprenticeship as a coach under Rick Pitino at the highly successful University of Kentucky, while he also spent a year as an assistant to former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt at Dynamo Moscow.
Breakers owner Matt Walsh says Shamir will play an integral role in both on and off-court performance.
"Dan brings with him experience coaching at the highest levels and knowledge of best practices for top-level basketball organisations," said Walsh. "His experience is already being felt throughout the organisation."
Shamir has wasted no time getting into his work, capturing the signatures of shooting guard Scotty Hopson and Tall Blacks forward Tom Vodanovich.
Hopson - who played under Shamir in Israel - has had brief stints in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Maverivcks, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
He starred for the NBA G-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he set a single-game scoring record of 52 points in 2014.
Former Breakers development player Vodananovich is fresh off a stellar campaign for the Southland Sharks. He made his debut for the Tall Blacks last year.
Promising coach Zio Coronel has also been signed on as Shamir's assistant. Coronel turned plenty of heads as he guided the Hawke's Bay Hawks to an unlikely grand final appearance in the NZ NBL this season.
He'll be joined by another NZ NBL head coach in Mike Fitchett, who was in charge of the Nelson Giants in their return to the league.
Newshub.
