God Shammgod

God Shammgod (born April 29, 1976 and formerly known as Shammgod Wells) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently a player development coach with the Dallas Mavericks. He played in the NBA with the Washington Wizards during 1997–98 after being drafted by them in the 2nd round (17th pick) of the 1997 NBA draft. He played in the Chinese Basketball Association for several teams, including the Zhejiang Cyclones.[1] and Shanxi Yujun. He also played professionally in Poland and Saudi Arabia.[2] Despite having a very brief NBA career, he is considered by many to be one of the greatest ball handlers in NBA history, and is the progenitor of a widely used crossover, the "Shammgod."[3]

God Shammgod
Dallas Mavericks
PositionPlayer Development coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1976-04-29) April 29, 1976
New York City, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight169 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolLa Salle Academy
(New York City, New York)
CollegeProvidence (1995–1997)
NBA draft1997 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45th overall
Selected by the Washington Wizards
Playing career1997–2009
PositionPoint guard
Number2
Career history
As player:
1997–1999Washington Wizards
1999–2000La Crosse Bobcats
2000–2001Czarni Słupsk
2001Florida Sea Dragons
2001–2002Zhejiang Cyclones
2002Al-Ittihad Jeddah
2002–2003Zhejiang Cyclones
2003–2005Al-Ittihad Jeddah
2006–2007Shanxi Yujun
2007Portland Chinooks
2007Al Kuwait
2007–2008Zhejiang Cyclones
2008Cedevita Zagreb
2009Oregon Waves
As coach:
2012–2015Providence (Player development)
2016–presentDallas Mavericks (Player development)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school

When he was known as Shammgod Wells, he played high school basketball at La Salle Academy in Manhattan. His teammates at La Salle Academy included future NBA player Metta World Peace (then known as Ron Artest) and former Providence College center Karim Shabazz. He was selected to the 1995 McDonald's All-American Team and recorded nine points in the All-American game.[4] He also played with Kobe Bryant during a summer on an AAU team.

College career

Shammgod played for two seasons at Providence College, where he averaged 10.3 PPG for his college career. He was selected to the Big East All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 1996 after setting the Big East freshman assist record, which has since been broken.[5] As a sophomore, Shammgod teamed with future NBA player Austin Croshere in leading the Friars to the 1997 Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual NCAA champion Arizona in overtime. Shammgod registered 23 points and five assists while matching up against future NBA player Mike Bibby in the loss.[6]

Professional career

Shammgod appeared in 20 games for the Washington Wizards in 1997–98. Shammgod later played in the Chinese Basketball Association.[7] Most of his professional playing career was spent outside of the U.S.

Name

Shammgod called himself Shammgod Wells until he finished high school. When he enrolled at Providence, he was informed that he would have to register under his legal name. Since it would have cost $600 to change his legal name to Shammgod Wells, Shammgod stopped using the alias.[8]

Coaching career

Shammgod reenrolled at Providence in 2012 to complete his undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor's degree in Leadership Development in May 2015. He served as an undergraduate student assistant on Ed Cooley's staff and has been credited with playing a role in the development of Bryce Cotton and Kris Dunn.[9]

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References
  1. "Sun Jun Leads Jilin into CBA League Final Four". English.people.com.cn. 2002-03-28. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  2. "God Shammgod joins Portland Chinooks – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News". OurSports Central. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  3. Video, B/R. "The Shammgod: How God Shammgod's Legendary Crossover Lives On in Today's Stars". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  4. "West Schoolboy Stars Prevail". The New York Times. April 3, 1995. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  5. "CNN/SI from CNN and Sports Illustrated". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  6. "SouthCoastToday.com – News Archive – Your link to SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond". Archive.southcoasttoday.com. 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  7. "HoopsHype – God Shammgod: "Chris Paul is the best dribbler"". Blogs.hoopshype.com. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  8. Weber, Jim. "God Shammgod's unforgettable name is still bringing him fame – The Dagger – NCAAB Blog – Yahoo! Sports". Rivals.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  9. Casey, Tim "Known for a Dribble, God Shammgod Crosses Over to Teaching" The New York Times, Thursday, March 12, 2015
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