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Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Chris Fleming, one of Mike Malone's assistants in Denver, will be joining the Nets coaching staff in a similar role. Fleming served as an offensive coach in Denver.
Denver assistant Chris Fleming is joining Kenny Atkinson's staff with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) May 24, 2016
The 46-year-old was popular in Denver and Wilson Chandler tweeted out his congratulations.
Yessir, one of my favorite people. Congrats. https://t.co/QCW31pmaA7
— Wilson Chandler (@wilsonchandler) April 17, 2016
Fleming becomes the fourth assistant named or reported. The others are Jacque Vaughn, the former Magic head coach named lead assistant; Adam Harrington, who will handle skills development including shooting; and Jordan Ott, who worked with Atkinson in Atlanta.
Chris Dempsey, the Nuggets beat writer, tweeted that Fleming will get a front row seat on the bench.
Quickly, on Chris Fleming's departure: He's expected to be the 2nd assistant in Brooklyn; played college ball w/head coach Kenny Atkinson
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) May 24, 2016
Indeed, Atkinson and Fleming share a great deal. Fleming is like Atkinson a local product, having grown up in Lacey Township, New Jersey. Like Atkinson, he played college ball at Richmond in the 1980s. Like Atkinson, he played professionally overseas, seven years in Germany. And like Atkinson, Fleming has coached a national team. He is head coach of the German national team just as Atkinson was head coach of the Dominican Republic.
While in Germany, Fleming's teams were four-time German Cup champions, four-time German League champions, three-time German Supercup champions, and he was German League coach of the year in 2011.
Fleming began his coaching career as an assistant basketball coach with QTSV in Germany in 1998. In 2000, he became the head coach of QTSV. He then became the head coach of Brose Baskets Bamberg in 2008. In October 2012, he extended his contract with Brose Baskets through 2016. But In May 2014, Fleming parted ways with the club.and in November, he was appointed the new coach of the Germany national basketball team by the German Basketball Federation. The German national team roster has included NBA players Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schroder and Tibor Pleiss. He joined the Denver Nuggets last year.
Interesting side note from the German media: Atkinson was supposed to work with Fleming as an assistant German national team coach at FIBA EuroBasket last year. Specifically, he was supposed to work with Schroder. But instead Atkinson opted for a commitment as head coach of the D.R
Last July, Denver Stiffs, the SBNaton blog covering the Nuggets, unearthed an 85 minute coaching speech Fleming did for FIBA back in 2011, laying our his offensive philosophy.
He, Atkinson, Sean Marks and Trajan Langdon have 30 years combined experience playing overseas.
Meanwhile, in other news regarding the coaching staff, Chris Vivalmore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the details have been worked out on Jordan Ott's contract with Brooklyn. He's the Hawks video coordinator who's worked closely with Atkinson in Atlanta. Vivlamore reports Ott will leave the Hawks for a new position, quoting a person familiar with the situation. The Nets have not yet announced the hire.