From running the court to running the show
There is a small and prestigious group of professional athletes across all sports who have managed to excel both on their respective playing surfaces and in the front office, building winning organizations. Names like Danny Ainge, Jerry West, Steve Yzerman, and Ozzie Newsome are often among the first that come to mind. Yet, for many other NBA legends, including “His Airness,” the transition isn’t always as smooth. Despite storied careers on the court, many former NBA All-Stars find the executive suite a different kind of challenge, one that doesn’t always lead to the same level of success they achieved on the hardwood.
Kiki VanDeWeghe’s achievements as both a player and a front-office leader with the league and two NBA organizations place him firmly among the distinguished group of individuals who have accomplished both. Kiki, as fans like to call him, earned All-Star honors twice over a distinguished 13-year career in the NBA. Renowned for his effortless scoring and elite three-point shooting, he led the league in three-point percentage in the 1986-87 season. On December 13, 1983, during the NBA’s highest-scoring game to date—a 186-184 triple-overtime thriller between the Nuggets and Pistons—Kiki finished as the game’s top scorer with a career-high 51 points.
After retiring as a player, he combined his deep basketball IQ with his passion for the game to forge a second, equally impactful career off the court, spanning over 20 years in roles within the front offices of teams as well as the NBA’s front office. His roles included head coaching stints with the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets, general manager positions with both the Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets, and, most notably, an eight-year tenure as the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Despite not picking up a basketball until age 13, Kiki VanDeWeghe’s passion for the game runs deep in his blood. As the son of former New York Knick Ernie VanDeWeghe, Kiki’s early interest in basketball was sparked by life lessons from his father and interactions with other NBA legends during his youth.
As a star swimmer in his youth, Kiki’s aspirations to become a professional swimmer came to a crossroads when his father approached him about his long-term future. “My father would tease me,” VanDeWeghe recalled. “We were talking one day, and he said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pay for your college.’ He was a doctor with four kids, and maybe he said it off the cuff, but I think he said it to motivate me.”
Kiki assured his father that he would never have to pay for his college and that he was motivated to find a way to attend college on a full scholarship. “I went to my swimming coach, and I asked him, ‘What is the best way to get a scholarship in swimming?’” Kiki’s coach advised him that swimming scholarships were not typically awarded at most universities. Kiki then proceeded to ask his coach which sports could pay for college, and his coach explained that, beyond academics, the major sports that provide scholarships are baseball, basketball, and football.
Kiki’s decision to ultimately choose basketball wasn’t driven by passion at all. “At 13, I wasn’t very tall—I was just going through a growth spurt—but I thought that I should start playing basketball,” Kiki recalled. “This was what I thought I needed to do to pay for college. I started playing basketball and found out over time that I was getting better. I was terrible at first, but I got better and better and discovered that basketball was what I wanted to do.”
At the time of his decision, Kiki’s skills in the pool far exceeded his skills on the hardwood, but he knew in his gut it was the right move. “I was a much better swimmer than I would ever be as a basketball player, and everyone thought I was crazy to quit, but I did, and I decided that I wanted to do this.”
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
For many, childhood memories of shooting hoops in the driveway often involve a family member watching on, offering tips and encouragement. It was no different for Kiki, except in his case, the adult giving him tips happened to be the late, great Jerry West. “Through my dad, [who at the time was the Lakers team physician], I got very close with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor,” Kiki reminisced. “Jerry West actually taught me how to shoot the right way… in Brentwood, right in his driveway.”
Kiki shared the story: “My dad went over to Jerry’s house to take care of his kids, and Jerry said, ‘Come on outside with me. I heard you’re starting to play basketball; let me see what you can do.’” Kiki recalled, “We started to play basketball, and he began rebounding for me. Then he said, ‘Let me show you how to shoot,’ and he gave me a shooting lesson.” Kiki continued, “About two years later, in a similar scenario, Jerry said to me, ‘You’ve shown me you’re really dedicated to getting better; now let me show you my favorite move and what I do almost every time I get the ball.’ He ended up spending ten minutes with me. Imagine if he spent eleven!” Kiki joked.
West taught him not only his signature moves, but more importantly, the reasoning behind each move, and when, why, and how to use each move effectively. Combining the one-on-one lessons from “The Logo” himself with the knowledge he had gained over the years from his father, Kiki transformed his game to an elite level.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, the relationship he formed with Jerry West as a teenager would continue for decades, as Kiki eventually followed in West’s footsteps from player to general manager. He credits West, one of the league’s most accomplished GMs, for being a constant mentor, guiding him through challenges with deep wisdom and personal experience.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Stay tuned for Part 2, where Kiki reflects on his time as a New York Knick, the historic night of December 13, 1983, when he led all scorers in the NBA’s highest-scoring game, and much more.