Report: Wizards adding NBA Champion James Posey to coaching staff

The Washington Wizards are adding some valuable championship-level experience to the organization. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards are finalizing a deal to add James Posey to Wes Unseld Jr.’s coaching staff.

Posey won two NBA championships as a player, one with the Miami Heat in 2006 and another with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Posey played 12 NBA seasons before retiring after the 2010-11 season.

While never the featured player or star of his teams, Posey played an important role in both championships and was a well-rounded role player. In that sense, he could be exactly what young players such as Rui Hachimura or Deni Avdija need to be around every day.

Posey has played with a long list of all-time greats and due to his play on the court and way of carrying himself, earned the respect of many. Shortly after retiring from the game, Posey took a role on an NBA coaching staff.

That job came with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who James Posey joined the coaching staff of for the 2014-15 season. He was on the Cavs staff for five seasons before departing, but not before he captured his third overall NBA championship.

He went through the entire David Blatt to Ty Lue transition with the Cavs and was a part of the staff that helped LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and Co. beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

It’s safe to say Posey knows how to deal with adversity and weather the storm from a coaching perspective. While he was in no way leading that charge, it was an obviously unique situation for everyone that played a part in it.

That’s why it should be expected that his addition will not only be an asset to the players on the roster but also to the coaches on the roster. How he relates to players and the fact that he has done a lot on the court himself could make him a very efficient bridge between the staff and the roster.

Ironically, he is just the kind of player the Wizards would love to have on their roster right now. After adding Taj Gibson to the roster, though, Posey as a coach could be another strong fit to the puzzle.

That lockerroom drama from last season, which was a clear and blatant leadership issue, should not be coming back anytime soon. Both Taj and Posey know what it’s like to have the right kind of dynamic and culture in a locker room, and their maturity is going to do wonders for these Wizards.

In addition to his notable stints with the Heat and Celtics, Posey also had memorable runs with the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets. Hopefully, he is ready to begin another impactful run with an organization.