The first time that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers started an NFL game, his buddy and then-Cleveland Cavaliers player development specialist Lloyd Pierce sent him a text message of congratulations.
While Rodgers had played a near-perfect game – completing 18 of 22 passes, throwing for one touchdown and running for another – his performance was also notable for a less-than-flawless Lambeau Leap as he attempted to jump into the stands and celebrate with fans in Green Bay.
Pierce, a native of the San Jose area, included one zing from their days together playing pickup basketball in the Bay Area.
After a decade of work as an assistant coach in the years since that text message, it's now Pierce's turn to jump into the limelight. The Atlanta Hawks hired Pierce on his 42nd birthday to become the 13th full-time head coach in team history.
Schlenk made no secret of the fact that hiring a coach with a strong track record of player development was a key priority.
Building a reputation as a player-development guru
It was in Cleveland where Pierce's knowledge and dedication first started to earn the trust of players around the league, including LeBron James, then still in his first stint with the Cavaliers.
In 2010, Pierce moved onto an assistant coaching job with the Golden State Warriors, where he worked with the Warriors' young players like Steph Curry and helped coordinate the pre-draft workouts that culminated with the Warriors selecting Klay Thompson in the 2011 Draft. This year was also the one where Schlenk, then the Director of Player Personnel in Golden State, got his best first-hand look at Pierce's style.