Rich Cho

Last updated
Rich Cho
Charlotte Hornets GM Rich Cho November 1, 2015.jpeg
Rich Cho before the Hornets' 2015–16 season first home game
Memphis Grizzlies
PositionVice President of Basketball Strategy
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1965-08-10) August 10, 1965 (age 57)
Rangoon, Burma
NationalityAmerican
Career information
High school Decatur (Federal Way, Washington)
College Washington State

Richard Cho (born August 10, 1965) is an American basketball executive who currently serves as the Vice President of Basketball Strategy of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the Grizzlies, Cho was the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Hornets, and the assistant general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. [1] Cho was the first Asian American general manager in NBA history. [2] [3]

Contents

Education and early career

Born in Rangoon, Burma to Alan (Aung Aung Cho) and Shirley Cho (Nwe Nwe Yi), Cho immigrated with his family to the United States in 1968. [4] [2] They were sponsored by a family in Fort Wayne, Indiana before moving to Federal Way, Washington. Cho's father worked the night shift at a convenience store to support the family. [5] Cho graduated from Decatur High School and went on to Washington State University, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked as an engineer at Boeing from 1990 to 1995. [1]

Basketball executive

In 1995, he was hired as an intern for the Seattle SuperSonics while finishing a J.D. degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. In 1997, he earned the degree and was hired as the SuperSonics' director of basketball affairs. [6] In 2000, he was promoted to assistant general manager. [1] Between 2000 and 2008 the Sonics made the playoffs twice. The high point was the 2004-05 season when the team advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the only time since 1997-98. However it was followed by several more down seasons culminating in a record of 20-62 during the 2007-08 season, the worst in franchise history. In 2008, Cho relocated to Oklahoma City when the league allowed the team under new ownership to leave Seattle. The team was renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder utilized Cho's background in both law and mathematics when negotiating trades, free agent signings, and interpreting the NBA's complex collective bargaining agreement. [3] The Thunder entered the playoffs in 2009-10 with a record of 50-32.

In July 2010, Cho returned to the Pacific Northwest, hired as the ninth general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, replacing Kevin Pritchard, who was fired the previous month. [1] Cho himself was fired less than a year after being hired. [7] On June 14, 2011, the Charlotte Bobcats hired Cho as their new general manager, promoting previous GM Rod Higgins to president of basketball operations. The Hornets fired Cho on February 20, 2018. [8] [9] Cho was hired by the Grizzlies on April 17, 2019. [10]

Personal life

Cho and his wife Julie Heintz-Cho have two young daughters. [11] Cho met his wife while studying law at Pepperdine University School of Law. [12]

Cho's father, Alan, is a former journalist. [4] His paternal grandfather, U Cho, was Burma's first education minister, while his maternal grandfather, Thant Gyi, was a former deputy education minister. [4] Cho is the first cousin of Alex Wagner, television anchor and host of Now with Alex Wagner on MSNBC.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Trail Blazers</span> National Basketball Association team in Portland, Oregon

The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to the Moda Center in 1995. The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970, and has enjoyed a strong following: from 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American major professional sports at the time, and only since surpassed by the Boston Red Sox. The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the Pacific Northwest, after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001 and the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. J. Carlesimo</span> American basketball coach

Peter John Carlesimo is an American basketball coach who coached in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and college basketball for nearly 40 years. He is also a television broadcaster and has worked with ESPN, The NBA on TNT, Westwood One, Fox Sports Southwest, Pac-12 Network, The NBA on NBC, and CSN New England.

Kevin Lee Pritchard is an American basketball executive, and a former player and coach, who is currently the president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers. Pritchard played 4 seasons in the NBA as a player, and was also the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Indiana Pacers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Stotts</span> American basketball coach and former player

Terry Linn Stotts is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Daniels</span> American basketball player

Antonio Robert Daniels is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the television color analyst for the New Orleans Pelicans on Bally Sports New Orleans and co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating the defending-champion Detroit Pistons, 4–3, in the NBA Finals.

The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz. The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions; the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Jazz are geographically closer to the Pacific Division, the Timberwolves are geographically closer to the Central Division, and the Thunder is geographically closer to the Southwest Division, although in the latter instance that was not the case when the division was formed as the Thunder were still the Seattle SuperSonics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 NBA playoffs</span> Postseason tournament

The 2000 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers four games to two. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 NBA playoffs</span> Postseason tournament

The 1998 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997–98 season. The tournament concluded with the two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Bulls also achieved a second three peat, a goal unrivaled since the Boston Celtics in 1966. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the sixth and final time.

The 1978 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1977-78 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Wes Unseld was named NBA Finals MVP. To date, it remains the only NBA title that the Bullets have won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma City Thunder</span> National Basketball Association team in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays its home games at Paycom Center.

The 2010 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2009-10 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.

The 2011 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki was named NBA Finals MVP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Conference (NBA)</span> Conference of the National Basketball Association

The Western Conference is one of two conferences that make up the National Basketball Association (NBA), the other being the Eastern Conference. Both conferences consist of 15 teams organized into three divisions.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team commenced play in 2002 after the NBA granted founder George Shinn an expansion franchise to play in New Orleans. The Pelicans' establishment was unusual compared to most modern expansion teams in that New Orleans' roster was not stocked through an expansion draft. Instead, Shinn transferred the entire basketball organization of his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, to his new franchise.

The following is a timeline of the expansion and evolution of franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was formed as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and took its current name in 1949. The histories of NBA franchises that were also members of the American Basketball League (ABL), National Basketball League (NBL), National Pro Basketball League (NPBL), and American Basketball Association (ABA) are also included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Oklahoma City</span>

Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Thunder is the city's second "permanent" major professional sports franchise after the now-defunct AFL Oklahoma Wranglers and is the third major-league team to call the city home when considering the temporary hosting of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the 2005–06 and 2006–07 NBA seasons.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Trail Blazers name Cho General Manager" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. July 19, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Ziller, Tom (July 19, 2010). "Portland Trail Blazers Name Rich Cho General Manager". Fanhouse.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  3. 1 2 Quick, Jason (July 20, 2010). "New general manager Rich Cho had the answers the Blazers wanted in his backpack". The Oregonian . Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Hopkins, David (25 March 2015). "Game Changer". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Smith, Brian T. (July 19, 2010). "Humbled Cho reflects on dream-like journey". The Columbian . Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Seattle SuperSonics 2007 Media Guide" (PDF). Oklahoma City Thunder. p. 28. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Trail Blazers make change in general manager position" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Hornets to Not Extend Contract of GM Rich Cho". Charlotte Hornets. February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  9. ↑ Reed, Steve (February 20, 2018). "Struggling Charlotte Hornets fire general manager Rich Cho". NBA.com. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Memphis Grizzlies name Rich Cho vice president of basketball strategy, Glen Grunwald senior advisor". nba.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
  11. ↑ "Larry Miller Letter to Fans" (Press release). Portland Trail Blazers. July 19, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  12. ↑ DiFrisco, Emily (Fall 2010). "Blazing to the Top". Pepperdine Magazine. Pepperdine University. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.