SAN ANTONIO – Sean Marks, who became the first New Zealander to play in the NBA 1998, was named assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old from Auckland will work under head coach Gregg Popovich, the team announced on their website.
Marks joins a coaching staff that is already considered one of the best in the league and is formulating a plan to get back to the NBA finals this season. The Spurs lost in the league championship series in seven games last season to the Miami Heat.
Marks competed for New Zealand in two Olympics, in 2000 at Sydney and 2004 in Athens. He was a member of the New Zealand team that finished fourth at the 2002 FIBA World Championships.
An 11-year NBA veteran, Marks played for San Antonio from 2003-06 and was a part of the Spurs’ 2005 NBA Championship team.