Michael Winger

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President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins spoke to the media following the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season.

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2023-24 Washington Wizards Exit Interviews: Michael Winger & Will Dawkins

Will Dawkins and Michael Winger spoke to the media regarding Interim Head Coach Brian Keefe prior to our game against the Jazz at Capital One Arena.

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Media Availability: Will Dawkins and Michael Winger | 01/25/24

Luke Askew

As the Washington Wizards usher in a fresh era of basketball in the DMV, President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger and General Manager of the Wizards Will Dawkins spoke in their preseason press conference about the importance of what I'm calling The Three P's: positivity, process, and patience.

During their latest media availability on September 26, they highlighted how they plan to bring sustained success to the hardwood in the Nation's Capital. Here are some of the most memorable quotes, categorized by where they fit in The Three P's.

"It's evident to us that our guys like being around each other. And that's really, really important. I think it's also evident that these guys are serious craftsmen. They care about the work -- the way they go about it... They're rooted in doing the work. These guys have been coming in, doing their individual workouts in the morning, coming back, getting extra shooting in, and just spending time working on their game... The habits they're building are things that we're looking for in current players but also future players. And they're helping [to set] the standards here." -Will Dawkins

"It's been a summer of work for our guys. The best part for me when evaluating training camp, is these guys put time in individually. They spend time individually working on their craft. And now you get to put it in a team environment -- a team setting -- 5 on 5 and see how it works." -Will Dawkins

"At the end of the day, it's a team that the fans can get behind. You're going to see the joy. You're going to see the pride. You're going to see the competitiveness that basketball fans and the common fan alike can notice and can see through the TV screen and see when they're around each other." -Will Dawkins

"With Will [Dawkins], with Ted [Leonsis], with our leadership group, we have a vision for the team. It is ambitious, and it is a very heavy lift. We want to build an organization that develops and can support a sustainably great team. We don't want to be a flash in the pan. We don't want to be a one-hit-wonder." -Michael Winger

"When you look at the new group, the best thing that they've done so far is come together and learn each other. I always like to say the basketball will take care of itself. That's what the training camp is for. What we've done I think is bring a group together that has a lot of experience mixed with youth as well. They'll have mentors in the locker room." -Will Dawkins

"We are of course holding everybody accountable for everything. We're not going to let slippage go unspoken. We're not going to let something other than 100% effort go ignored. That's not what we're going to do. So if we lose four in a row, but we're competing our behinds off, we're holding ourselves accountable on the floor, and we are getting marginally better in practice and in those games, we're going to live with that." -Michael Winger

"When we go through and do individual goals with players, it will be things that they are aware of, things that they contribute to, things that are attainable, things that can be recited, and things that can be tracked, so at all they know where they're at and they know what their goals [are]." -Will Dawkins

"With Jordan [Poole] and Kyle [Kuzma], the thing that has impressed me so far the most is their willingness to bring the group together. They've had guys come out to their summer homes and spend time with them out there. And when we talked about guys being here post-Labor Day, they've been here. They've been here the entire month. And when we talked about acquiring them and had the conversations with them, what happens on the court, starts off the court. And the leadership mentality that they've taken on, I would say they've embraced that. They're running with that -- hitting high marks on that." -Will Dawkins

"With Bilal [Coulibaly], he's just like any other rookie. He's going to have his ups and his downs this year. But with him, being the third-youngest player in the league, he's got a competitiveness that I think will allow him to get on the floor right away. The biggest thing with him is not skipping any steps, not rushing him, allowing him to declare who he is as a player, and understanding that his prime is five, six, seven years down the line from now." -Will Dawkins

"There's going to be setbacks. There's going to be losing streaks. It's basketball. And even in games that we win, we're going to be like 'Hey, we should've done this better.'" -Will Dawkins

"We want to build the right way. We've studied all the teams in the league, historically and currently, that have done it, what we would characterize as, the right way. And it is a very heavy lift. Hard decisions, a lot of patience, an intense focus on player development, an intense focus on research, and that's what we're going to do. We will usher in at some point in the future, an era of sustainable contention, and we're going to work our butts off every single day to get us to that point." -Michael Winger

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Washington Wizards: Key quotes from Michael Winger and Will Dawkins' media availability

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Monumental Basketball President, Michael Winger and Wizards General Manager, Will Dawkins, spoke to the media ahead of 2023 Training Camp.

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Media Availability: Michael Winger and Will Dawkins

The top quotes from the introductory press conference for Michael Winger and Will Dawkins.

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Top Quotes: Ted Leonsis, Michael Winger, Will Dawkins

The Washington Wizards held a press conference at District E in downtown D.C. on Thursday, June 8 featuring Ted Leonsis (Monumental Sports and Entertainment Founder and CEO), Michael Winger (President of Monumental Basketball), and Will Dawkins (Wizards General Manager).

Wes Unseld Jr. (Wizards head coach), Travis Schlenk (Senior Vice President of Player Personnel), and John Thompson III (Senior Vice President of Monumental Basketball) were also available to the media after the press conference.

"I was very, very interested in a fresh start and moving forward. Starting with a leader, who then would be able to attract a great group of executives to help us to build the team that can legitimately, honestly, authentically say that it has upside, that it's competitive, that the fans fall in love with and that we could have championship aspirations." -Ted Leonsis

"I spent a lot of time with [Michael Winger], and we synced in our belief that you have to do all the little things right. You have to do all the big things right. And it's going to take time... I really believed in Michael's vision on how to build an organization that's really built to last. I think that's very, very important that you can't have flash-in-the-pan, overnight success. That this will take a long time. And because of that, I wanted a next-generation leadership team. I think that it's their time. This is a very, very young, aggressive, smart, new NBA-oriented team. It starts at the top, and Michael has my full support." -Ted Leonsis

"There's a lot of things that attracted me to the job. The first one was Ted. And I think that his vision for the organization, piggybacking what he said particularly as it relates to the other organizations where he's shown that patience, his willingness to resource the team, I think the Wizards have an extraordinarily bright future if it's appropriately managed. And I think that Ted has put together the appropriate folks to get that job done." -Michael Winger

"I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge how excited I am to raise my kids in D.C." -Michael Winger

"I was with Will [Dawkins] in Oklahoma City from 2010 to 2017, and there were a lot of impressive folks in Oklahoma City... Will sort of stood out to me as a combination of extraordinary talent, passion for the game, an intellectual curiosity, a work ethic, and I just thought if there was ever a time in my future where I was lucky enough to be in a position to hire folks, Will would be one of the guys that I just want to work with him... He's a pusher. He's a star." -Michael Winger

"There's been a lot of emotions of the last week... the one that I continuously come back to is just excitement and gratitude to be joining an organization like this, to be part of the Washington Wizards. It's a special franchise in a basketball city with loyal fans. That's really, really exciting... I'm ready to roll up the sleeves and get going." -Will Dawkins

"People know Michael [Winger] as the sharp, smart, very talented, process-drive, hardworking, connector of people. That's all true, but the person he is, the friend he is, the father he is, that's what attracts me to coming to the shop." -Will Dawkins

"The eventual expectation is that we're gonna build a generational contender. We're eventually gonna have a team that is competing for championships. I can't promise when that'll be, but there's no excuse for the lone NBA team in Washington, D.C. not to be a perennial contender or at least be pursuing championships, so that's the goal. The goal is to pursue championships by any means necessary." -Michael Winger

"I've encouraged Michael [Winger] and the group to take some time and assess what we have. Get to know the organization, the players, the city, and then develop a plan. And we should work off of a strategic plan. Tell me the resources that are needed, and I'm committed to give them what they need to build their vision and execute the way they want." -Ted Leonsis

"There's a lot of talent on the team. There's a lot of talent in the front office. I think right now, what we have to study closely is how things fit together. How the various, different puzzle pieces fit. And what the roster ought to look like on a going-forward basis. But there's a lot of good here. This isn't a situation where we're starting from zero. We're starting from something significantly north of zero because of the talent, because of the character, because of the folks in the organization." -Michael Winger

"For me, it's more about the person than it really is the player. You gotta make sure you're bringing in the right people and they're about the right things. Whether that's competitiveness, effort, willingness to be unselfish... There will be characteristics that we'll look for on the court for sure, but it starts with the person. And that'll be the vetting process. We'll find out and create what a Wizards player is and we'll go after those types of players." -Will Dawkins

"Players will look different over the course of time. Staff will look different over the course of time. The thread that will bind everybody is they have to love what they do. They have to love to play basketball. They have to love to coach basketball. They have to love to be around basketball. If they love it, they're gonna work at it. And there's just going to be an endless improvement until the day they retire from whatever profession they're in. Every Wizards player, every Wizards coach, every Wizards staff member is gonna absolutely love hoop and be a tireless worker." -Michael Winger

"I think it's probably unorthodox in so far as Will [Dawkins] and I are going to collaborate on every meaningful roster decision, every meaningful top-level executive decision, but there shouldn't be a mistake: Will is running basketball operations for the Wizards. And whatever that day-to-day management requires, whatever decisions that requires, those are Will's decisions to make. Corporate decisions, higher-level player personnel decisions, I'm certainly going to be involved. There's gonna be a team of us involved. Coach [John] Thompson is involved. Travis [Schlenk] is involved. Wes [Unseld Jr.] will be involved. Will, myself, others... We're going to be a very collaborative group." -Michael Winger

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Key quotes from Wizards' June 8th press conference

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Michael Winger Appoints Trio of Experienced Leaders to Steer Monumental Basketball&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced his updated executive leadership team for Monumental Basketball today, naming Will Dawkins as Wizards general manager and Travis Schlenk as Wizards senior vice president of player personnel and promoting John Thompson III to senior vice president of Monumental Basketball.

“We are very encouraged with the progress we’ve made in a short period of time in re-imagining our front office structure, putting together an experienced group of deep-thinking leaders who understand how to build a high-performing organization,” said Winger.&nbsp; “Will, Travis and John all have radically different life and professional experiences, which will help us grow and change as we continue to add talent to our team.”&nbsp;

Dawkins will be charged with immersing himself in the day-to-day operations of the Wizards, managing basketball operations and overseeing the Capital City Go-Go. Schlenk will oversee all Wizards player personnel evaluation, including managing the scouting staff.&nbsp; Thompson’s elevated role will be focused on exploring and implementing best practices for the Wizards, Mystics and Go-Go while ensuring accountability for excellence across the organization.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dawkins joins the Wizards after spending the last 15 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he held a variety of positions throughout the organization.&nbsp; He elevated all the way from front office intern, video coordinator and scouting coordinator to director of college player personnel, vice president of identification and intelligence, and his most recent position of vice president of basketball operations that he has held for the last three seasons. During his time with the Thunder, Dawkins had influence on all facets of the operation, assisting with roster and staff development while also developing long and short-term strategic planning for the organization that included player evaluations and acquisitions. The Emerson College alum was part of a Thunder front office that helped assemble teams that contributed to the second-best winning percentages in the NBA from 2010 to 2020, with a Finals appearance in 2012 and four appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

“Over the course of my career I’ve committed myself to doing everything I could, step-by-step, to help build a successful NBA organization, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to now help lead a proud franchise like the Washington Wizards,” said Dawkins.&nbsp; “I want to thank Mr. Leonsis and Michael for the opportunity to be part of a group that shares the same core values for developing a team that I believe in, values that fans in an incredible basketball city like D.C. can rally behind.”

Schlenk brings 25 seasons of NBA experience to the Wizards, including the last six seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.&nbsp; He began his time in Atlanta as the team’s general manager and head of basketball operations in 2017 before being promoted to president of basketball operations prior to the 2019-20 season.&nbsp; The following year, the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals with a roster comprised of draft picks made during his tenure complemented by veteran players he acquired via trade and free agency.&nbsp; Prior to his time at the Hawks, Schlenk spent 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, including the final six as assistant general manager where he assisted in the management of all day-to-day basketball operations activities and helped guide the Warriors to three consecutive NBA Finals and two NBA championships (2015 and 2017).&nbsp; He joined the Warriors after working as a video coordinator with the Miami Heat and director of basketball operations at the University of Georgia and began his career with the Orlando Magic.&nbsp;

“I’ve enjoyed doing business with Michael throughout our different stops in the NBA, and having the opportunity to now work alongside him to restore a winning environment with the Wizards is a special opportunity,” said Schlenk.&nbsp; “We are all ready to collaborate on the best ways to begin and sustain that process, and we’re excited to have a great starting point ahead of us with the upcoming draft.”

Thompson has spent the last four seasons as Monumental Basketball’s vice president of player development and engagement. He has a vast array of basketball experience, most notably his 13 years (2004-2017) as head coach at iconic Georgetown University. Thompson achieved several coaching milestones at the helm of the Hoyas, including an NCAA Final Four appearance, two NCAA Sweet-16 appearances, three Big East regular season championships and one Big East tournament championship. In his four years as head coach at Princeton, Thompson won three Ivy League championships. Overall, he owns a stellar 346-193 (.641) all-time record and was named Big East Coach of the Year (2013), NABC Coach of the Year (2007) and was a two-time recipient of the Black Coaches Association (BCA) Male Coach of the Year. Following his tenure at Georgetown, he served as an assistant coach for the USA Men’s National Team where he supported Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy as the team qualified for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

“I have had the benefit of spending the last four seasons working with all three teams under Monumental Basketball and I’m looking forward to being able to share that experience as we constantly improve and expand our operations,” said Thompson.&nbsp; “There is much potential for growth across the board in our organization and we collectively are taking great pride and responsibility in putting us on the right track to achieve our goals.”

Dawkins will join Leonsis and Winger for an introductory press conference today at 12 p.m. at District E.&nbsp; Schlenk, Thompson and Wizards Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr. (along with Leonsis, Winger and Dawkins) will be available to media following the on-stage portion of the press conference.&nbsp;

The press conference will be aired live in its entirety by NBC Sports Washington, will be streamed live on the Wizards digital channels (YouTube, Twitter and Facebook) and air live on The Team 980 and 106.7 The Fan on the Audacy network.

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Dawkins, Schlenk Named to Wizards Executive Team; Thompson Promoted to SVP of Monumental Basketball 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder and CEO Ted Leonsis announced today that Michael Winger has been named president of Monumental Basketball. 

“Michael’s vast experience and broad range of executive-level skills will provide stability, accountability and leadership for all of our basketball franchises,” said Leonsis.&nbsp;&nbsp;“His influence on helping to restore and sustain excellence at three different teams aligns with our goal of building championship contenders while his collaborative approach supports our shared services structure.”

Winger, who will report directly to Leonsis, will oversee all aspects of operations for the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and the Capital City Go-Go.

“I am honored to lead Monumental Basketball, with all three teams standing as proud representations of a unique and powerful region that has shown loyalty and patience throughout various levels of success,” said Winger.&nbsp;&nbsp;“There is much work to do, but I am confident we can build our programs on sustainable principles that will underscore all of our decisions, re-establishing the prestige and status that we can celebrate with our deserving fans.”

Winger and Leonsis will immediately begin a search for a lead executive for the Wizards.&nbsp;&nbsp;That position will also oversee the Go-Go and report directly to Winger along with Mystics General Manager Mike Thibault and the administrative, communications, athlete care & performance and strategy & research departments that service all three teams.

Winger has 18 seasons of experience as an NBA executive, working with teams that have collectively appeared in two NBA Finals and seven Conference Finals while amassing a .633 (912-528) regular season winning percentage during his respective tenures.&nbsp;&nbsp;He has spent the last six seasons as the general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, helping lead the team to a 272-200 (.576) overall record and a trip to the 2021 Western Conference Finals.&nbsp;&nbsp;As general manager, Winger worked closely with President Lawrence Frank on all day-to-day basketball functions.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was responsible for developing the majority of operational and roster planning, helped build out departments by identifying and acquiring staff, developed systems to support the players and oversaw all transactional processes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Winger also assisted in the design of the team’s new training center that is set to open in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prior to his time with the Clippers, Winger worked as an assistant general manager and team counsel for the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2010-11 to 2017-18.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Thunder appeared in the 2012 NBA Finals and reached the Western Conference Finals four times during his tenure.&nbsp;&nbsp;He began his NBA career as team counsel and director of basketball operations with the Cleveland Cavaliers.&nbsp;&nbsp;During his five seasons (2005-10), the Cavs appeared in the 2007 NBA Finals and reached the Eastern Conference Finals twice.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;