NBL MVP to Coach Wembanyama

NBL legend Matt Nielsen will take the reins of the San Antonio Spurs NBA Summer League team in two weeks', meaning he will be the first coach to lead number one draft pick Victor Wembanyama at NBA-level.

Wembanyama enters the league with unprecedented hype and excitement, as he is projected to be a franchise player for the Spurs.

His first run in NBA colours will be at the Summer League under the watchful eye of Nielsen, who won the 2004 NBL MVP while playing for the Sydney Kings.

Nielsen played for the Kings in 1995 and then again from 1997-2004, winning two championships and a Grand Final MVP in 2004, alongside his league MVP.

He then made a successful transition into the coaching ranks, serving as an assistant for the Perth Wildcats from 2015-2019, before becoming the assistant for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G-League affiliate.

Nielsen has developed strongly as a coach in the Spurs' system and was named the G-League head coach in 2020/21, before joining Gregg Popovich’s staff as an NBA assistant in 2021 – a position he still holds today.

A host of current and former NBL stars are playing in the Summer League including Duop Reath, Mojave King, DJ Hogg, Luke Travers and more.

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