A proud link in a storied basketball legacy, Rasheed Hazzard is in his second season with the Knickerbockers, having joined the organization as an assistant coach on Sep. 3, 2014 following a tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers during which he was a part of two NBA Championship teams.
“The level of responsibility that comes with the position that Derek blessed me with was definitely something new,” says Hazzard, 39, of his Big Apple initiation. “It wasn’t so much an adjustment; it took a lot of attention to detail and it was very time-consuming, but I enjoyed it more than anything I’ve ever done. It’s a great opportunity to grow in this business, especially under a person like Coach Fisher, who sets the bar so high with his standard for excellence and all the things he’s done in basketball and life. We see what we’re building and the culture we’re developing, and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
The 2015-16 season marks Rasheed’s second year as an NBA assistant coach, but his basketball resume extends far beyond. Prior to joining the Knicks, Hazzard served for five seasons (2006-07 through 2010-11) in a variety of capacities for the Lakers, beginning as a part-time scout for the Lakers and part-time assistant coach for the D-League Los Angeles D-Fenders. Eventually working his way to fulltime status both as a Lakers scout and assistant coach for the D-Fenders, Hazzard was part of the Lakers staff during their back-to-back NBA Championship years of 2009 and 2010.
“When I was with the Lakers, I was kind of a jack-of-all-trades,” says Rasheed. “I filled in where I needed to. Here, my role is more focused, so that allows me to kind of make it my own and try to excel at what Coach Fisher is asking me to do in helping to build this culture. . .Now, you’re directly affecting the outcome of games, with the information you provide and the work you do with players. That’s why I’m in this business; I love the pressure and I love to win.”
“Rasheed bounced around and wore various hats in LA, managing different roles,” says Fisher. “For me, it was humbling in a sense to be able to help him come onto the bench and become an assistant coach, after the opportunity to coach was presented to me. His basketball name speaks for itself. He understands the game at a very, very high level. He understands, offensively, who we are and what we’re trying to do. And he understands who I am as a leader and as a person, and does everything he can to support that.”
Prior to joining the Lakers, Rasheed served for five seasons as head basketball coach at his alma mater, Venice (CA) HS, and one season as an assistant coach at the University of Portland (OR).
Rasheed is the son of the late Walt Hazzard, a UCLA legend who averaged 12.6 ppg during a 10-year NBA career primarily with the Lakers and Hawks. Following his playing career - highlighted by nine points in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game at the Old Garden - Walt was a longtime scout and consultant for the Lakers, even after suffering a debilitating stroke in 1996. A product of Philadelphia’s legendary Overbrook High School, Walt will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in November 2015.
The basketball bond between father and son was brilliantly illustrated for Rasheed one night late last season.
“We were in Philadelphia to play the Sixers, and an old friend of my dad, [longtime Sixers advisor] Sonny Hill, was at the game,” he recalled. “I call him Uncle Sonny because he’s been in my life forever. I was out doing my workouts with the guys, and Sonny’s just sitting there with a smile on his face. After I was done I walked over to him, and Sonny had tears in his eyes and he said, `I swear, I’m sitting here and it’s like I’m watching your father all over again.’ That was the moment when I realized that my dad would be proud of what I’ve done, I know he’s smiling and happy. This is where we belong...in this game, helping people and trying to win championships. That’s what he was about.
“My dad set the standard. He’s the one that established the Hazzard name. But if he was here right now, he would tell you that none of this would have been possible without my mom, Jaleesa Hazzard. She’s the rock, she’s the backbone, she pushes us all to be great men.”
A 1998 graduate of George Washington University, Rasheed played four seasons at GW under head coach Mike Jarvis. Single, he is a native of Los Angeles. Since 2011, Rasheed and his brothers have overseen the Los Angeles-based non-profit Walt Hazzard Hoop School, which engages inner-city youth in life lessons as well as basketball.
Rasheed is the youngest of four brothers: Yakub, a vice president at NBCUniversal; Jalal, a longtime executive director for non-profit organizations and manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ RBI Program; and Khalil, a three-time Grammy winner known professionally as DJ Khalil. Rasheed also has two nephews currently playing Division I ball: Jacob at Arizona and Max at UC-Irvine.