Spurs to announce Ettore Messina as assistant after the Finals

[Uriel]

UPDATE: Spurs general manager R.C. Buford denied that Ettore Messina was San Antonio-bound, via Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News:“Is someone leaving our staff that I don't know about?” Buford said when asked about the Messina report. “We have not had one conversation with anyone about a coaching position for next season.”
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CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina will join Gregg Popovich's staff with the San Antonio Spurs after this season ends, as first reported by Corriere di Bologna's Daniele Labanti andconfirmed by Sportando.
Messina served as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers under Mike Brown in 2011-2012. The Atlanta Hawks reportedly considered him for their head-coaching vacancy last yearbefore settling on Mike Budenholzer, who was Popovich's lead assistant at the time. The Spurs tried to hire Messina last year, according to ESPN's Marc Stein, who also reported that there was talk that new Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder would try to add Messina to his staff.
Having coached Real Madrid, Benetton Treviso, Virtus Bologna and Italy's national team, Messina has quite a resume. He's long been talked about as a potentially historic hire as an NBA head coach, and that could still happen in the future. He has a great reputation for his offensive mind -- in that respect, this will be a case of the rich getting richer in San Antonio.

CIA R.C.

[Pero]

LOL yeah...not his father but another person (I was thinking Sasha).

Haha yeah not Sasha. Željko Obradovič is the winningest coach in Euroleague history and he's done it with several teams.

[Pero]

But anyway Željko Obradovič is not interested in coaching in the NBA because he would have to start as an assistant and he's not interested in being anybody's assistant at this point in his career. And also even if he was made head coach from the start he's doubtful as to how the players would receive him since he never coached in the NBA and is an unknown in that sense.

[romain.star]

Fantastic news. If he comes, it's because they told him he would take over when Pop retires

[benefactor]

RC deflecting

[exstatic]

RC deflecting

Yeah...

RC, someone is ALWAYS leaving your coaching staff every summer.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

This is a great move at a perfect time. There are a lot players in Europe who a more than capable of being great players in the NBA but don't come here b/c of the NBA system. Having a coach like Messina will draw a lot of interest from even more Int'l players to join the Spurs.

[bluebellmaniac]

If there was any doubt on if we were going Euro heavy in the draft, let this remove all doubt... But with only a couple spots available, one would think it'd have to be stashable picks.

[testies]

he's not the best euro coach by any means, he is a ferrari crasher.. gets huge budgets and does all

ivkovic is the best euro coach, btw he had reunions with pop before playoffs

after him, there is obradovic, laso and others

[Vic Petro]

I don't think what RC said is a smokescreen. Unless a coach leaves I'm not sure where they'd put Messina. I assume Messina would only want to come if he's the lead assistant or at least 2nd in that hierarchy. Chip doesn't even sit on the bench so I'm not sure how his leaving would affect anything.

[FromWayDowntown]

Messina apparently resigned from CSKA:

http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/r...ka-moscow.html

[Jenks]

Will the Spurs start fouling at the end of games now up by 3?

[Uriel]

So I guess these reports weren't true after all.

[ironman2886]

So I guess these reports weren't true after all.

What are you sad about?

[Mel_13]

Reporters in Europe say it will still happen. Recap on Project Spurs today:

http://projectspurs.com/2014-article...ing-staff.html

[xmas1997]

Damn, I was hoping it was true, he would have provided a lot of knowledge of Euroball.

[ironman2886]

Damn, I was hoping it was true, he would have provided a lot of knowledge of Euroball.

Would have?

[T Park]

If I were to guess, Sean Marks goes back to his previous job in the organization.

[Mel_13]

If I were to guess, Sean Marks goes back to his previous job in the organization.

That makes perfect sense.

[Kindergarten Cop]

So I guess these reports weren't true after all.

Damn, I was hoping it was true, he would have provided a lot of knowledge of Euroball.

What are you sad about?

Would have?

I'm guessing we have some posters confusing "resign" with "re-sign".

[Prime Time]

I'm guessing we have some posters confusing "resign" with "re-sign".

That's what I'm thinking. Which is it lmao, I'm guessing the answer is resign though.

[ironman2886]

I think posters are confusing the words "resigned" and "re-signed." Read the article guys. Messina resigned from his contract. That means he is no longer under contract. Reports say that the Spurs are going to sign him after the draft.

[ironman2886]

I'm guessing we have some posters confusing "resign" with "re-sign".

Yes.

[xellos88330]

I'm guessing we have some posters confusing "resign" with "re-sign".

Agree. I was like... WTF????

[MI21]

If I were to guess, Sean Marks goes back to his previous job in the organization.

Makes sense, I always wondered why Marks was an assistant coach. Doesn't strike me as a basketball genius for some reason

What was his previous role?