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Team Contact Information:
Denver Nuggets
1000 Chopper Circle
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 405-1100
Basketball Staff:
Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke
President and Governor: Josh Kroenke
Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations: Masai Ujiri
Vice President of Basketball Operations: Pete D'Alessandro
Executive Director of Basketball Administration: Lisa Johnson
Basketball Operations Coordinator: Amy Yuratovac
President & Chief Executive Officer, Kroenke Sports: Jim Martin
Senior Vice President of Finance, Kroenke Sports: Mark Waggoner
Senior Vice President/General Counsel: Stephen Stieneker
For all KSE executives' bios: CLICK HERE
Head Coach: George Karl
Assistant Coach: John Welch
Assistant Coach: Melvin Hunt
Assistant Coach: Chad Iske
Assistant Coach: Ryan Bowen
Assistant Coach: Patrick Mutombo
Special Assistant: Vance Walberg
Director of Player Personnel: Mike Bratz
Scout: Herb Livsey
Scouting Coordinator: Dan Tolzman
Video Coordinator: Nashion Harper
Assistant Video Coordinator: Jason Nygren
Athletic Trainer / Travel Coordinator: Jim Gillen
Assistant Coach / Strength and Conditioning: Steve Hess
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach: Dan Shimensky
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach: Felipe Eichenberger
Equipment Manager: Sparky Gonzales
Director of Team Security: Bobby Simmons
Director of Media Relations: Tim Gelt
Media Relations Manager: Nick O'Hayre
Director of Team Services: Tim Dixon
Communications Specialist: Aaron Lopez
Media Relations Intern: Rahsaan Gethers
Media Relations Intern: Jameson Kovach
Head Team Physician / Orthopedic Surgeon: Dr. Steve Traina
Team Ophthalmologist: Dr. Gary Jamell
Internal Medicine: Dr. Saurabh Mangalik
Team Cardiologist: Mike Ptasnik
Team Dentist: Dr. Steve Barker
Massage Therapist: Margo Osborne
BASKETBALL OPERATIONS BIOS
E. Stanley Kroenke
Owner & Governor, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, LLC
The Nuggets have been one of the most successful teams of the past decade and are one of only three NBA teams to make the playoffs in each of the past nine seasons, including a remarkable run to the 2009 Western Conference Finals.
Since taking control of the Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Pepsi Center, Mr. Kroenke has been widely recognized as one of the top owners in professional sports, as well as a strong and committed leader throughout the community.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Mr. Kroenke’s Denver-based company, also owns Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth. His teams have hosted the 2001 NHL All-Star Game, the 2004 and 2009 NLL All-Star Games, the 2005 NBA All Star Game and the 2007 MLS All-Star Game, bringing some of the world’s most famous athletes to Denver.
KSE’s dedication to success has been evidenced by the consistent playoff runs of its teams. The Avalanche has made the playoffs in 12 of its 15 seasons in Denver and defeated the New Jersey Devils in June 2001 to win the Stanley Cup, the second in franchise history. The Mammoth has been a playoff participant in seven of its nine seasons and won the NLL championship in 2006. The Rapids have also achieved postseason success appearing in the playoffs in six of nine seasons, including the MLS Cup in 2010.
In February 2007, Mr. Kroenke purchased a significant stake in Arsenal FC. He is the controlling shareholder of London’s storied football club. The initial investment came months after KSE and the Colorado Rapids formed a landmark marketing and strategic partnership with the famed Barclays Premier League club. The relationship has been further strengthened by KSE’s acquisition of 83 percent shareholding in Arsenal Broadband Limited. In September 2008, Mr. Kroenke was appointed to the Arsenal board as a non-executive director.
In August 2010, National Football League owners unanimously approved Mr. Kroenke’s bid to become principal owner of the St. Louis Rams. A native Missourian, Mr. Kroenke played a vital role in bringing the NFL back to St. Louis in 1995. Prior to becoming the majority owner of the Rams, he was the minority owner of the team. With his real estate development expertise, Mr. Kroenke was instrumental in the building of Rams Park, now known as the Russell Training Center.
Under Mr. Kroenke’s direction, KSE completed three of the company’s most ambitious projects to date. On April 7, 2007 KSE opened the largest soccer-specific complex in the world, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The state-of-the-art sports facility on more than 160 acres in Commerce City, Colo., seats 18,000 fans for field sports and up to 27,000 for concerts. The award-winning field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park has been heralded as “one of the finest pitches in the world” by numerous international players and coaches who have played at the complex.
In November 2008, the stadium hosted Colorado’s first-ever World Cup qualifier between USA and Guatemala. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park also includes 24 surrounding playing fields for youth and adult recreational sports such as soccer, lacrosse and rugby. The complex anchors the 917-acre Prairie Gateway site that is a public-private partnership between KSE and Commerce City. The site is host to the Commerce City municipal hall, retail facilities, offices for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a visitors’ center for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. The project has created hundreds of jobs in the community and is expected to generate thousands more as the growth continues.
Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network began operation in September 2004, becoming the new television home for the Nuggets and Avalanche. Altitude also features other professional, collegiate and high school sporting events, as well as outdoors and lifestyle programming, entertainment and community interest coverage throughout the Rocky Mountain West.
TicketHorse became the official and exclusive ticket provider for both primary and secondary ticket sales for all KSE properties in July 2009.
One of KSE’s primary focuses has been the Colorado community and civic causes. More than $15.5 million in contributions have been made to Colorado charities through Kroenke Sports Charities and the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche Community Funds.
KSE purchased the Paramount Theatre, a historic landmark in downtown Denver, in July 2002. The venerable venue remains a vibrant, multi-event facility where Denver residents and visitors enjoy a wide variety of entertainment ranging from classic concerts to family shows, dance productions, comedic performances and charitable events each year. Pepsi Center and the Paramount Theatre are home to more than 250 events annually including world renowned concerts such as Madonna, Celine Dion, U2 and Lady Gaga.
Peak Entertainment, LLC, a joint venture of Kroenke Sports Enterprises and AEG Live Rocky Mountains, opened 1STBANK Center together in March 2010. The multi-use arena accommodates up to 6,500 people for a range of events located in Broomfield, Colo.
Mr. Kroenke’s enthusiasm and vision ensure that Denver will continue to be the top entertainment destination in the Rocky Mountain region for generations to come. Local media outlets have consistently named Mr. Kroenke one of the most significant people in the Denver arts and entertainment community, saying “No other person entertains more people more often.”
In August of 2008, Pepsi Center played host to the Democratic National Convention. Tens of thousands of delegates, journalists, volunteers and patrons descended on Denver and the Pepsi Center for the Convention. The landmark event ranks as one of the most important in KSE and Colorado history.
Millions of people around the world watched the Convention, which city officials estimated boosted the local economy by nearly $270 million.
Mr. Kroenke is chairman and owner of The Kroenke Group, a private real estate investment and development company with properties located throughout the United States and Canada.
Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as one of the nation’s leading real estate developers. One of the largest ranch property owners in North America, Mr. Kroenke’s ownership stakes also includes the Screaming Eagle and Jonata vineyards.
Mr. Kroenke’s current and former board and trustee memberships include Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Central Bank Holding Company, Boone County National Bank, Community Investments Partnership of St. Louis, the College of the Ozarks, and the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame. He is a member of St. Louis’ Civic Progress, which provides support and leadership for various community improvements that promote economic development, education and quality of life. In February 2009, Mr. Kroenke was enshrined into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Kroenke holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Ann, have a daughter, Whitney, an award winning documentary film producer; and a son, Josh, Governor and President of the Denver Nuggets and Governor of the Colorado Avalanche.
Josh Kroenke
Team President and Governor
Since joining the Nuggets as Vice President of Team Development in 2007, Kroenke has been involved in every aspect of day-to-day operations while overseeing the most successful four-year stretch in team history. Denver has won at least 50 games, made a trip to the Western Conference finals and captured two Northwest Division titles during that span.
Kroenke helped orchestrate one of the biggest trades in franchise history on Feb. 22, 2011. The three-team, 13-player deal protected Denver’s long-term future while keeping the Nuggets among the NBA elite. After the trade, the Nuggets went 18-7 while clinching a playoff berth.
In addition to his role with the Nuggets, Kroenke works closely with KSE’s executive committee on multiple business operation issues, ranging from finance to marketing.
After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in financial management, he completed a six-month internship with the NBA’s League Office working in its Player Development Department. Upon finishing his internship, Kroenke worked as an underwriter for Lehman Brothers in their Global Real Estate Group where he assisted with the debt underwriting and securitization of numerous commercial real estate transactions.
Kroenke was rated a Top-50 player nationally in high school, according to several scouting services, and helped lead the Rock Bridge High School Boys’ basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the state of Missouri as a junior. Kroenke received a full basketball scholarship to the University of Missouri, where he was named Academic All-Big XII First Team and selected team captain as a junior and senior.
Away from the Nuggets and Avalanche, Kroenke is involved in several charitable entities, including the Todd Peglow Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Missouri. He is also a major supporter of the Playing For Change Foundation, which is operated by his sister, Whitney, and benefits children worldwide through the building of schools that specialize in the teaching of music and arts.
Masai Ujiri
Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations
Ujiri has worked closely with team president Josh Kroenke to execute a plan to protect the team’s long-term future while keeping the Nuggets among the NBA elite. Despite major roster changes, the Nuggets went 18-7 after the 2010-11 All-Star break to reach 50 wins for the fourth straight year and clinch a playoff spot for the eighth year in a row.
Ujiri built upon that momentum throughout the 2011-12 season. The Nuggets acquired veteran F Corey Brewer and G/F Rudy Fernandez in exchange for a second round pick on Dec. 13, 2011. As the trade dealine approached, Ujiri brought in JaVale McGee, a young, promising center from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Nene.
Heading into the 2012-13 campaign, the Nuggets made another big move by acquiring All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Andre Iguodala from Philadelphia as part of a four-team trade on Aug. 10, 2012.
Additionally, Ujiri has overseen two NBA Drafts with the Nuggets, including when Denver used the 22nd overall selection on Kenneth Faried, the all-time collegiate rebounding leader. Faried went on to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was named Rookie for the Month for April. In the 2012 NBA Draft, the Nuggets added more depth to their roster by selecting three players, including Evan Fournier 20th overall.
Before coming to Denver, Ujiri spent the previous three years with the Toronto Raptors after joining the team as director of global scouting in 2007. He was elevated to assistant general manager, player personnel, in 2008 and worked closely with team president and general manager Bryan Colangelo. His duties included overseeing Toronto’s scouting and personnel department, talent assessment and related data management.
Ujiri, who was named to his current position on Aug. 27, 2010, is no stranger to Denver after working as a Nuggets scout from 2003-07. He was the team’s director of international scouting during the 2006-07 season. Prior to joining the Nuggets, he worked as an international scout for the Orlando Magic.
A native of Nigeria, Ujiri brings tremendous knowledge and extensive global connections to the Nuggets front office. He played professionally in Europe for six years, with stops in Belgium, Germany, England, Greece and Finland. He has scouted all over the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.
Ujiri also has managed and coached the Nigerian junior and senior national teams.
Along with former Nuggets great Dikembe Mutombo, Ujiri has been tireless in his efforts to promote and develop the game of basketball throughout Africa. He is the founder of the Giants of Africa Foundation, which launched the Top 50 and Bigman camps in his homeland. Ujiri also has served as the director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program since 2002.
Ujiri was introduced to basketball at age 13 and quickly fell in love with the game. He went on to play at Bismarck State College and Montana State University-Billings (formerly Eastern Montana College).
Pete D'Alessandro
Assistant to the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations
Pete D’Alessandro is currently in his third season with the Denver Nuggets, his first as vice president of basketball operations. D’Alessandro assists in the development of all basketball operations strategies as well as the management of day-to-day basketball activities with a focus on trade and free agent negotiations, salary cap management and collective bargaining agreement rules and regulations.
From 2004-2008 D’Alessandro worked for the Golden State Warriors. Initially hired prior to the 2004-2005 season as director of basketball operations, he was promoted to assistant general manager shortly after the 2006-07 season.
D’Alessandro began his career in basketball from 1986-90 when, as a student at St. John’s University, he served as video coordinator for the men’s basketball team under hall of fame coach Lou Carnesecca. D’Alessandro graduated from Nova Southeastern University School of Law in May of 1994 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1995. From 1994-96, he briefly entered the political arena, ultimately serving as the campaign manager for New York State Congressman Rick Lazio’s successful re-election to the House of Representatives.
After his stint in politics, D’Alessandro returned to the sports world in 1997, working for a Washington, DC-based sports agency. For seven years, he represented both NBA and International basketball players before being hired in 2004 by then Warriors basketball chief and current hall of famer Chris Mullin.
D’Alessandro currently lives in Denver with his wife, Leah and their 3-year-old daughter Kate and 1-year-old son Ben.
BASKETBALL STAFF
Entering his 25th NBA season and ninth with the Nuggets, Karl ranks seventh in NBA history with 1,076 career victories. Of the six men who have won more games, only three – Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan – have a better winning percentage than Karl (.595). Karl has also notched 78 career playoff victories, good for 10th all-time, and earned 10 Coach of the Month honors, which is tied for the fourth-most in NBA history.
Since joining the Nuggets on Jan. 27, 2005, Karl has overseen one of the most successful eras in franchise history.
In seven-plus seasons, his 366 wins are second-most to Doug Moe in the team’s NBA history, while his .612 winning percentage is unmatched. His streak of eight straight postseason appearances is the second only to Moe’s nine consecutive (1982-90), and Denver’s run of four straight 50-win seasons from 2007-2011 is the longest such streak in team history. The Nuggets are one of just three NBA teams (Dallas and San Antonio) to reach the postseason in each of the past nine seasons.
Despite having one of the league’s youngest rosters, Karl guided the Nuggets to a 38-28 record in 2011-12. In the process, he recorded his 20th straight non-losing season – tied with Jackson (1989-90 to 2010-11) for the longest streak in NBA history. The Nuggets led the league in scoring and assists, and nearly upset the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs before falling in seven games.
The 2010-11 season showcased Karl’s skills as a coach. Despite injuries to several key players, he guided the Nuggets to a 32-25 record at the All-Star break, and Denver won 18 of its final 25 games following a three-team 13-player trade that brought five new players to the Mile High City. Karl reached the 1,000-win mark with a victory in Toronto on Dec. 10, 2010, and he received a contract extension on March 8, 2011.
The 2009-10 season was one of highs and lows. While guiding Denver to an overall record of 53-29 and its second straight Northwest Division title, Karl was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He made the diagnosis public two days after coaching the Western Conference at the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and continued to coach the Nuggets for three weeks while going through intense radiation and chemotherapy treatment. Karl did not return to the bench after a March 16 victory over Washington; Denver went 7-7 in its final 14 regular-season games and lost to the Utah Jazz in six games during the first round of the playoffs. On July 15, Karl received the Jimmy V Comeback Award for perseverance at the 2010 ESPYs.
In 2008-09 season, Karl guided the Nuggets to arguably the best season in team history. With an overall record of 54-28, Denver claimed the Northwest Division title and tied the team record for most wins in a season. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, the Nuggets defeated New Orleans and Dallas to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1985. Denver lost to the eventual NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
In 2007-08, Karl guided the Nuggets (50-32) to their first 50-win campaign since 1987-88. It was a five-game improvement over 2006-07, when Karl led the Nuggets to a 45-37 mark, including a franchise-record 22 road wins. The sixth-place finish in the Western Conference was also Denver’s best since finishing sixth in 1988-89.
In 2005-06, Karl steered an injury-riddled Nuggets team to 44 wins and a Northwest Division title – the club’s first division crown since 1987-88. He became the fifth coach in NBA history to lead at least three different teams to division titles (also Milwaukee and Seattle).
After being hired as Denver’s coach in January 2005, Karl engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. The Nuggets were 17-25 and stood in 11th place in the Western Conference – six games out of the playoffs – but they went 32-8 and rallied to capture the No. 7 seed in the West. The .800 winning percentage is the best in NBA history for a coach that took over in the middle of the season (minimum 20 games). Karl was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for February and March and finished fifth in voting for NBA Coach of the Year.
Prior to joining the Nuggets, Karl served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-03), Seattle SuperSonics (1991-98), Golden State Warriors (1986-88) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-86). During his coaching career, Karl’s players have made 27 All-Star appearances, earned 16 All-NBA honors, made 11 All-Defensive teams and won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
During Karl’s tenure in Seattle, the Sonics averaged 59 wins per season and won 384 games – second only to Chicago during that span. He led the Sonics to three 60-win seasons, had just one losing month and never had a losing streak longer than three games. Only three coaches have led their teams to more 60-win seasons in NBA history: Riley (seven), Jackson (six) and K.C. Jones (four).
In five seasons in Milwaukee, Karl led the Bucks to a record of 205-173 and four playoff berths, highlighted in 2001 by the team’s first trip to the conference finals since 1986.
Karl broke into coaching as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs (then in the ABA) under Nuggets coaching icon Doug Moe. He landed his first head coaching position with the Montana Golden Nuggets of the CBA in 1980 and went on to become one of the most successful coaches in that league’s history. A three-time CBA Coach of the Year (1981, ’83 and ’91), Karl compiled a 176-66 (.727) record in five CBA seasons. He led the Albany Patroons to a league-record 50-6 mark in 1990-91, including a perfect 28-0 at home. He also coached two years in Spain with Real Madrid.
In 2001, Karl was selected as the head coach of USA Basketball’s 2002 World Championship Team that competed in the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis.
As a player, Karl averaged 6.5 ppg and 3.0 apg over 264 games and five seasons between the ABA and NBA. He attended the University of North Carolina, where as a junior, he helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1972 NCAA Final Four, and during his sophomore season (1970-71), helped UNC to an NIT title. Although drafted by the New York Knicks in the fourth round of the 1973 NBA Draft, he signed with the San Antonio Spurs of the ABA.
As a two-time cancer survivor (Karl overcame prostate cancer in 2005), Karl is actively involved with several cancer-related organizations. He and his life partner Kim Van Deraa launched the George Karl Foundation in March 2012. The foundation’s mission is to support causes and organizations important to their family, including cancer care programs, education, animal rights and environmental initiatives. More information can be found at www.georgekarlfoundation.org.
Karl works closely with the Cancer Care Initiative at Swedish Medical Center to help provide information and assistance for cancer patients and their families. He is also involved with the American Cancer Society, the Cancer League of Colorado and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
Karl also supports Friends of Hoop, which annually hosts King Holiday Hoop Festivals – high school basketball tournaments held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King – in Seattle and Milwaukee.
Karl, 61, has three children – daughters Kelci and Kaci and son Coby, who was on Denver’s roster at the end of the 2009-10 season. In 2007-08, Coby and George became just the third father/son duo to face each other in an NBA game and the first to do so in a postseason game as Denver took on Coby’s Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs. According to Elias Sports Bureau, there are no known instances of a player appearing in an NBA game with his father as his head coach in NBA history.
Welch joined the Nuggets after two seasons as an assistant coach/workout coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. Prior to his arrival in Memphis, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Fresno State, serving under head coach Jerry Tarkanian, one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history.
Welch joined Fresno State in 1995 and helped the Bulldogs to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, six consecutive 20-win seasons and seven straight postseason appearances. In 2000-01, he helped the Bulldogs to a 26-7 record, the second-most wins in school history; a school-record tying 13-game winning streak; and a Top 25 ranking during the second half of the season.
Welch, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for three years including the 1987 season when the UNLV Rebels advanced to the NCAA Final Four. When the Rebels’ season ended, Welch also served as a player and coach in the New Zealand Professional Basketball League from 1986-89. Welch returned to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at Long Beach State where he helped Head Coach Seth Greenburg guide the 49ers to a two-year record of 37-20 and a berth in the 1995 NCAA Tournament.
As a player, Welch spent three seasons at the University of Nevada, Reno and transferred to UNLV for his senior year. Welch played under Tarkanian for one year when the Rebels compiled a 33-5 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Welch was born on Feb. 17, 1963 in Portland, Maine. He attended Ranch High School in Las Vegas where he was an All-State selection. He and his wife, Jean, have a daughter, Haley, and a son, Riley.
Hunt is responsible for developing game plans along with Head Coach George Karl as well as developing the Nuggets players throughout the season and offseason. The past two summers Hunt has spent time in Italy working with Danilo Gallinari and he participated alongside Nuggets C Timofey Mozgov in Basketball Without Borders in Russia in 2012.
While in Cleveland, Hunt helped lead the Cavaliers to one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. In 2008-09, the Cavs won a franchise and NBA-best 66 games, while Hunt and the coaching staff earned the honor of coaching the East Conference in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Cleveland also enjoyed great postseason success during Hunt’s tenure, reaching the 2007 NBA Finals, the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and four consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Semifinals from 2007-10.
Before joining the Cavaliers staff, Hunt spent one season (2004-05) as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and five seasons with the Houston Rockets (1999-2004). While with the Rockets, he served two years as a video coordinator/scout and two years as an assistant coach before spending his final year as the team’s college and international scout.
Prior to working in the NBA, Hunt coached on both the collegiate and high school levels. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Temple High School (TX) before moving to the college ranks where he was the lead assistant coach at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio.
Hunt earned his Bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in education from Baylor University where he spent four years on the basketball team. He was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter for the Bears from 1987-91 and helped lead his team to both the NCAA and NIT tournaments. Following his graduation, Hunt played professional basketball in the Caribbean and Mexico.
A native of Tallulah, Louisiana, Hunt has spent time in Asia, Lithuania and South Africa during recent offseasons as a part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders – the global basketball development and community outreach program that uses the sport of basketball to influence positive social change.
Hunt (born Dec. 15, 1969) and his wife, Carmen, have a daughter, Braya, and a son, Miles.
Iske began working with the Nuggets on the ground level, serving as an intern in the scouting department for the 1999-00 season. From there he worked as the team’s video coordinator and scouting coordinator, began advanced scouting in 2004, and was promoted to assistant coach in 2008. He also scouted the CBA and D-League during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
A graduate of Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora (CO), Iske has volunteered as a coach in the school’s high school and junior high basketball programs. He also served as an assistant coach for basketball and baseball at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence, Kan. and helped start the Kansas Angels summer high school basketball program in 1997 – where he was the primary fund raiser and assistant coach in ’97-98.
Iske, 36, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1999 with a degree in sports management. He and his wife Lauren currently reside in Denver.
Bowen returned to Denver following an 10-year NBA career that included five seasons with the Nuggets from 1999-2004. Drafted by Denver in the second round (55th overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Bowen spent one season playing in Turkey before joining the Nuggets.
Known for his hustle and work ethic, Bowen was a fan favorite at Pepsi Center and averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 298 games with the Nuggets. His best season in Denver was 2001-02 when he started 21 games and averaged a career-high 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds. Bowen also was an active member of the community and received the Chopper Travaglini Award given for outstanding community service in 2002.
Bowen, 36, also played for the Houston Rockets (2004-06), New Orleans Hornets (2007-09) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2010-11), finishing his NBA career with averages of 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 507 games.
Before playing professionally, Bowen enjoyed a distinguished career at the University of Iowa. In 120 games with the Hawkeyes (1994-98), he scored 1,090 points (9.1 avg.), grabbed 804 rebounds (6.7 avg.), recorded 208 steals and blocked 124 shots. He remains the school’s career field goal percentage leader (.575) and ranks first in career steals, fourth in blocks and eighth in rebounds. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Bowen was inducted to the Iowa Boys Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Bowen and his wife, Wendy, reside in Highlands Ranch with their three children, daughter Isabel (11) and sons Benjamin (9) and Zachary (7).
Patrick Mutombo
Assistant Coach
In his role with the Nuggets, Mutombo works closely with the players to improve their individual skills before, during and after practices and team shootarounds. He also assists with advanced scouting of upcoming opponents. Mutombo served as an instructor at the NBA’s 2012 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp and Masai Ujiri’s Top 50 camp in Nigeria.
A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo developed his basketball skills while growing up in Belgium, and he later played under coach Mike Dunlap at Metro State in Denver. Mutombo spent six years playing professionally in Italy, Greece and the NBA Development League. He played four seasons on four different teams in the top league in Italy, one season for Trikala 2000 in Greece's top league, and the 2009-10 season with Bakersfield in the NBDL.
Mutombo, 32, turned pro after a distinguished career Metro State (1999-2003). He helped the Roadrunners win two NCAA Division II national championships (2000 and 2002) and was named second-team All-America in 2001 and first-team All-America in 2002. Mutombo ranks second in school history in career free throw percentage (.853), fifth in field goals made (571) and ninth in points (1,360). He was inducted into the Metro State Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2011.
Mutombo, who graduated from Metro State in 2003 with a degree in Political Science, resides in Denver with his wife Magali. In his spare time, he enjoys painting, sculpting and building wood furniture.
In addition, he serves as the team’s travel coordinator and works closely with Strength and Conditioning Coach Steve Hess to monitor the Nuggets’ workout regimen and diet.
Gillen traveled across town in 1991 to join the Nuggets after serving as the assistant athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos from ’87-90. During his tenure with the Broncos, Gillen accompanied the team to three Super Bowls. He and Broncos Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos were named the NFL’s Athletic Training Staff of the Year in ’87.
Prior to joining the Broncos, Gillen was an athletic trainer for the AMI/Denver Broncos Sports Medicine Clinic in 1987 and served as the head athletic trainer at Overland High School from ’82-86 and Aurora Central High School from ’80-82.
After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State (Kan.), Gillen was the head athletic trainer at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio before moving to Denver.
A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, Gillen is a past president of the Colorado Athletic Trainers Association. He is also past Chairman of the NBA Athletic Trainers Association and is a recipient of the National Athletic Trainers Association 25 Year Award.
Gillen has served as an athletic trainer at three NBA All-Star Games, working the 2005 (Denver) and 2003 (Atlanta) contests as the head trainer for the Western Conference and the 1995 game in Phoenix as an assistant.
He was honored with the Joe O’Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year Award in 2002 and 2008 and was an athletic trainer for USA Basketball at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis. In 2010 Gillen was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, which represents the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.
In 2003, Gillen established the Excellence in High School Athletic Training Award given annually to the top high school athletic training program in Colorado and Wyoming. The recipient receives a monetary donation for supplies and equipment and is recognized at a Nuggets home game. In addition, each year a “Comeback Athlete of the Year” and the school that the athlete attends are rewarded for outstanding rehab. For his efforts with the program, Gillen received an Athletic Trainer Service Award from the National Athletic Trainers Association.
A native of Meade, Kan., his family includes wife Terri, daughter Rachel; daughter Jamee Ulitzky, her husband Josh and their children Joey, Jordan and Julia; son J.D., his wife Emily and their daughters Alexsis and Aspen; and daughter Amanda Lloyd and her husband J and their daughter Karaline.
Steve Hess
Assistant Coach / Strength & Conditioning
In his 16th season with the Nuggets, Hess creates and administers individual workout programs for each player throughout the entire year. He spends the majority of the off-season working with Nuggets players and other professional athletes, overseeing every aspect of their workout programs. He pushes them to reach their peak physical condition.
Hess is a co-owner of FORZA fitness and performance center and is one of 12 trainers worldwide who sits on the Under Armour training council. He is also the official spokesperson for the National Sports Center for the Disabled and is also a member of NBA Team Fit.
In addition, Hess has been featured on NBA Inside Stuff, All-Access with Ahmad Rashad, NBATV and The Eating Network. He also has his own workout segment on the Altitude Sports & Entertainment network.
A graduate of Ithaca College (N.Y.), Hess received a master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis on sports medicine and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science fitness and cardiac rehabilitation in ‘91.
Hess lives to obtain peak performance in his own life. His wife, Alicia, is also a conditioning expert and the couple spends their time chasing their two sons, Jordan and Korey, around their home.
Dan Shimensky
Assistant Athletic Trainer / Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Throughout the year, Shimensky assists both Head Athletic Trainer/Travel Coordinator Jim Gillen and Assistant Coach/Strength & Conditioning Steve Hess. Some of his duties include: treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, manual therapy, strengthening and conditioning of players, administering concussion tests, ordering medical/ weight room supplies, working closely with team physicians, and pre-season physicals.
A graduate of Central Washington University, Shimensky received his master’s degree in exercise science. While at CWU, he was the graduate assistant athletic trainer for football and men’s basketball.
Prior to his tenure at Central Washington, Shimensky completed his undergraduate work at the University of Utah, receiving his degree in exercise science with an emphasis in athletic training. He worked on the training staff for football and women’s gymnastics.
While at Utah, Shimensky also had the opportunity to be involved in numerous internships with several NBA organizations including the Miami Heat (Summer, 2003), the Nuggets (Fall, 2004) and the Seattle Sonics (Summers of 2004, 05, 06).
In addition to being a certified Athletic Trainer, Shimensky has obtained his corrective exercise specialization (CES) and performance enhancement specialization (PES) certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
In 2009, Shimensky was fortunate and honored to be selected as Head Athletic Trainer for the USA men’s U-19 Men's FIBA World Championships. Held in Auckland, New Zealand; Shimensky helped Team USA capture the gold medal, an accomplishment that had not been achieved since 1991.
In 2011, Shimensky was brought back to USA basketball as Head Athletic Trainer for the men’s U-16 national team for the FIBA Americas Championship. Hosted in Cancun, Mexico; Shimensky was able to obtain a second gold medal as team USA finished with a perfect 5-0 record.
Shimensky and his beautiful wife Heather, currently reside with their dogs Suki (a.k.a “The Sooks”) and Koko outside of Denver.
His father, Mike, was a longtime NBA Athletic Trainer.
Sparky Gonzales
Equipment Manager
Sparky Gonzales is in his 14th year as equipment manager, but his history with the Nuggets goes back much further than that. Gonzales is in his 36th year of service with the Nuggets, having served in a variety of capacities.
In 1977, Gonzales joined the Nuggets performing part-time locker room and bench security. He served as equipment manager from 1989-91. From 1992 until his hire in 2001, Gonzales assisted the Nuggets media relations department as a jack-of-all-trades on game nights. As equipment manager, Gonzales orders and maintains all of the team’s equipment at home and on the road.
Gonzales, a Denver native, and his wife Tammy were married in 1998. He enjoys fishing, camping and golfing in his spare time.
Lisa Johnson
Executive Director, Basketball Administration
In her current role as Executive Director of Basketball Administration, Lisa handles day-to-day operations of the office, coordinates team travel and works with the other Kroenke Sports departments in scheduling and maintaining the player appearance program.
In her spare time, Lisa has fun spending time with her husband Jim, traveling, enjoying the outdoors, music, art and flower gardening. The Johnsons reside in Centennial with Gracie the cat.
