Mark Bryant will join the Knicks as an assistant coach, according to Ian Begley of SNY. The longtime NBA center is considered to be one of the NBA’s best coaches for big men, Begley adds.
Bryant, 59, spent last season as a member of Monty Williams’ staff in Detroit. He has also worked for Dallas, Orlando, Seattle/Oklahoma City and Phoenix since becoming a coach in 2004.
Starting center Mitchell Robinson, who was limited to 31 games last season due to injuries, should be among the biggest beneficiaries of having Bryant on the coaching staff. The Knicks are still exploring their options at backup center after losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder in free agency.
New York already has Othella Harrington serving as a big man coach, so it’s not clear how he and Bryant will split those duties, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Lewis points out that Bryant worked in Oklahoma City with Maurice Cheeks, who joined the Knicks’ coaching staff last month, and he helped to develop newly acquired Mikal Bridges in Phoenix.
Bryant was known as one of the strongest men in the NBA, even after his playing days were over, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic, who relays a story of Bryant’s battles in practice with former Thunder center Steven Adams.
The move is a homecoming for Bryant, who grew up in New Jersey and played at Seton Hall before beginning his NBA career. He was selected by Portland with the 21st pick in the 1988 draft and played for 10 teams in 15 seasons.
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