Brian Shaw (basketball)

Brian Shaw
Brian Shaw
Born	March 22, 1966 (age 60); Oakland, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, basketball coach
Years active	1988–present
Known for	NBA player and assistant coach; three-time NBA champion with Los Angeles Lakers

Brian Keith Shaw (born March 22, 1966) is a former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Shaw primarily played as a point guard throughout his 14-season NBA career, securing three NBA championship titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Early life

Born on March 22, 1966, in Oakland, California, Brian Shaw grew up alongside future basketball talents such as Antonio Davis, Gary Payton, and Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell. His early basketball development took place at the East Oakland Youth Development Center. He attended Westlake Middle School and later enrolled at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, where he distinguished himself as a standout athlete.

College career

Shaw started his collegiate basketball journey at St. Mary's College of California before transferring to UC Santa Barbara for his final two years. During his senior year, he was honored as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) player of the year and led the Gauchos to their inaugural appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Boston Celtics (1988–1989)

Selected 24th overall in the 1988 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, Shaw signed a one-year contract to begin his professional career.

Il Messaggero Roma (1989–1990)

In 1989, Shaw agreed to a two-year contract with Italian club Il Messaggero Roma.

Boston Celtics (1990–1992)

Returning to Boston in January 1990 on a five-year deal, Shaw intended to play for Il Messaggero during the 1990–91 season. This led to a prominent contract dispute—Boston Celtics v. Brian Shaw—which he ultimately lost. The case remains notable in sports law and contract discussions. Following his NBA return, Shaw completed two more seasons with the Celtics.

Miami Heat (1992–1994)

In 1992, Shaw was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Sherman Douglas.

Orlando Magic (1994–1997)

Shaw signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic in 1994.

Golden State Warriors (1997–1998)

Three years later, Shaw was included in a trade package sent to the Golden State Warriors for Mark Price.

Philadelphia 76ers (1998)

Dissatisfied with his role at Golden State, Shaw was traded along with Joe Smith to the Philadelphia 76ers, who sent back Jim Jackson and Clarence Weatherspoon.

Portland Trail Blazers (1999)

During the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, Shaw joined the Portland Trail Blazers initially on a ten-day contract in April, which was later extended for the remainder of the season. In the offseason of 1999, Portland traded him along with several teammates to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Scottie Pippen. The Rockets subsequently released Shaw.

Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2003)

Following his release, Shaw signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting with former Orlando teammate Shaquille O'Neal. Serving as backup to All-Star shooting guard Kobe Bryant, he contributed during a season where the Lakers achieved a league-best 67 wins. Shaw participated in all 22 playoff games as Los Angeles advanced through victories against the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and overcame a challenging Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. He notably sank two vital three-pointers in game seven’s comeback victory. Due to Bryant’s injury, Shaw started game three of the Finals and played key minutes during overtime in game four. The Lakers won the series 4–2, earning Shaw his first NBA title.

In the following season (2000–01), Shaw started 28 games and played an important role as the Lakers dominated postseason play, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals. The team secured their third straight championship in 2001–02 before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals of 2002–03. Shaw retired after that campaign.

Additionally, Shaw represented Team USA at the 1986 FIBA World Championship, where he helped secure gold by hitting a critical three-pointer against the Soviet Union in the final.

Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2011)

Following his retirement after the 2002–03 season, Shaw took on a scouting role based in Oakland for the Lakers during the 2003–04 season. He advanced to assistant coach under Phil Jackson in the 2004–05 campaign, collaborating closely with elite players such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, and Pau Gasol. Throughout his coaching stint, the Lakers secured NBA championships in 2009 and 2010, though they fell short in the Finals of 2004 and 2008. Despite being a candidate for the head coach position following Jackson’s departure, Shaw was ultimately passed over in favor of Mike Brown.

Indiana Pacers (2011–2013)

In 2011, Shaw joined the coaching staff of the Indiana Pacers as an assistant under head coach Frank Vogel, earning a promotion to associate head coach for the 2012–13 season. During this period, the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but were defeated by the Miami Heat’s formidable Big Three. Shaw played a key role in nurturing core players like Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert. His growing reputation as a skilled developer of talent opened doors for head coaching roles.

Denver Nuggets (2013–2015)

Shaw was appointed head coach of the Denver Nuggets on June 25, 2013, succeeding George Karl. His first game at the helm occurred on October 30, 2013, resulting in a close defeat against the Sacramento Kings. After an initial period of adjustment, he achieved his inaugural victory over the Atlanta Hawks on November 7. The Nuggets concluded the 2013-14 season with a 36–46 record, missing playoff qualification for the first time in over a decade.

On March 3, 2015, Shaw was relieved of his duties after compiling a 56–85 (.397) record across nearly two seasons. He was replaced by Michael Malone. During his tenure, he coached notable talents such as Andre Miller, Evan Fournier, Ty Lawson, and JaVale McGee.

Return to the Lakers (2016–2019)

Shaw returned to the Los Angeles Lakers organization in July 2016 as associate head coach under new leader Luke Walton. This era saw the development of promising young players including Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, and Alex Caruso. The team later acquired superstar LeBron James ahead of the 2018–19 season. Subsequently, with James’ arrival and addition of star Anthony Davis, a revamped coaching staff led by former Pacers head coach Frank Vogel took charge and steered the Lakers to win the championship at the 2020 NBA Finals.

NBA G League Ignite (2020–2021)

On June 10, 2020, Shaw was appointed as the inaugural head coach for the newly formed NBA G League Ignite. He guided the team to an even 8–8 record and secured a playoff berth. After top prospects such as Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Isaiah Todd were selected in the subsequent 2021 NBA draft, Shaw resigned from his position.

Los Angeles Clippers (2021–present)

Shaw joined the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Clippers on September 24, 2021, serving as an assistant under head coach Tyronn Lue. In this role, he worked with high-profile athletes including Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, while also reconnecting with former Pacers standout Paul George.

Personal life

On June 26, 1993, Shaw experienced the tragic loss of both parents and his sister in a car crash. Following this, he took on a significant role in raising his niece, receiving assistance from his aunt. During his tenure with the Miami Heat, Shaw was reportedly romantically linked to singer Madonna. He is married to Nikki Shaw, a professional chef; their paths crossed when he joined the Orlando Magic in 1994, and they wed four years later in 1998. Together, they have three children.

Legacy

While playing for the Heat, Shaw set an NBA record on April 8, 1993, by successfully converting ten three-point field goals out of 15 attempts in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center, finishing with 32 points. Beginning in 1994, he partnered with Shaquille O'Neal to form the well-known "Shaw-Shaq Redemption" duo, highlighted by a memorable alley-oop that gained popularity among fans in both Orlando and Los Angeles, where they later played for the Lakers. In a 2007 interview, O'Neal identified Shaw as the teammate he admired most.

At the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend held in Oakland, Shaw was presented with a key to the city alongside fellow Oakland natives Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.

NBA

Source

Regular season

|- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Boston |style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|82*||54||28.1||.433||.000||.826||4.6||5.8||1.0||.3||8.6 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Boston |79||79||35.1||.469||.111||.819||4.7||7.6||1.3||.4||13.8 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Boston |17||3||25.6||.427||.000||.875||4.1||5.2||.7||.6||10.3 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Miami |46||23||21.5||.398||.313||.725||2.9||3.5||1.0||.3||7.0 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Miami |68||45||23.6||.393||.331||.782||3.8||3.5||.7||.3||7.3 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Miami |77||52||26.5||.417||.338||.719||4.5||5.0||.9||.3||9.0 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Orlando |78||9||23.5||.389||.261||.737||3.1||5.2||.9||.2||6.4 |- |style="text-align:left;"| |style="text-align:left;"|Orlando |75||1||22.4||.374||(removed)|| .798 || 3 || 4 || .8 || .1 || 6

|-
| style = "text-align: left;" | 
| style = "text-align: left;" |  Orlando
| 77 || 31 || 24 .2 || .366 || .325 || .793 || 2 .5 || 4 .1 || .9 || .3 || 7 .2 
| -
| style = "text-align: left;" | 
| style = "text-align: left;" |  Golden State
| 39 || 32 || 26 .4 || .336 || .313 || .727 || 3 .9 || 4 .4 || .9 || .4 || 6 .4 
| -
| style = "text-align: left;" | 
| style = "text-align: left;" |  Philadelphia
| 20 || 2 || 25 .1 || .367 || .250 || .632 || 3 .2 || 4 .4 || .7 || .2 || 6 .1 
| -
| style = "text-align: left;" | 
| style = "text-align: left;" |  Portland
| 1 || 0 || 5 .0 || .000 || – || – || 1 .0 || 1 .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 
| -
| style = "text-align: left;background:#afe6ba;" | †
| style = "text-align: left;" |  L.A.
 Lakers
|74|||2|||16\.9|||\.382|||\.310|||\.759|||2\.9|||2\.7|||\.5|||\.2|||4\.1
|- 
| style = "text-align: left;background:#afe6ba;" | †
| style = "text-align: left;" |  L.A.
 Lakers
|80|||28|||22\.9|||\.399|||\.311|||\.797|||3\.8|||3\.2|||\.6|||\.3|||5\.3
|- 
| style = "text-align: left;background:#afe6ba;" | †
| style = "text-align: left;" |  L.A.
 Lakers
|58|||0|||10\.9|||\.353|||\.330|||\.692|||1\.9|||1\.5|||\.4|||\.1|||2\.9
|- 
| style = "text-align: left;" | 
| style = "text-align: left;" |  L.A.
 Lakers
|72|||0|||12\.5|||\.387|||.349|||\.667|||1\.7|||1\.4|||\.4|||\.2|||3\.5
|- class="sortbottom"
|>style="text-align:center;" colspan=2>Career
|>943>361>23>.0>.403>.304>.782>3>.4>4>.2>.8>.3>6>.9
|>}

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"|1989 | style="text-align:left;"|Boston | 3 || 3 || 41.3 || .512 || .000 || .778 || 5.7 || 6.3 || 1.0 || .0 || 17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1991 | style="text-align:left;"|Boston | 11 || 11 || 28.7 || .470 || .333 || .867 || 3.5 || 4.6 || .9 || .1 || 11.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1992 | style="text-align:left;"|Miami | 3 || 3 || 28.3 || .467 || .600 || .625 || 4.3 || 4.0 || .7 || .0 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1994 | style="text-align:left;"|Miami | 5 || 5 || 22.4 || .390 || .000 || .583 || 4.0 || 1.8 || .8 || .2 || 7.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1995 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 21 || 0 || 16.9 || .390 || .386 || .625 || 3.0 || 3.1 || .5 || .2 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1996 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 10 || 0 || 21.7 || .346 || .364 || .750 || 2.1 || 4.6 || .5 || .0 || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1997 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 5 || 4 || 16.4 || .158 || .333 || .500 || 1.8 || 1.6 || .2 || .2 || 2.0 |- |style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|2000† |style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers |'22'||1||18.5||.421||.333||.813||2.3||3.0||.5||.2||5.4 |- |style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|2001† |style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers |16||0||18.1||.375||.345||.667||3.4||2.7||.6||.1||4.4 |- |style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|2002† |style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers |'19'||0||12.5||.333||.281||1.000||1.8||1.6||.3||.3||2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2003 | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers | 12 || 1 || 17.9 || .306 || .231 || .667 || 3.2 || 2.0 || .3 || .4 || 3.2 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 |Career |'127'||28||19.2||.395||.318||.725||2.8||3.0||.5||.2||5.7 |}

Head coaching record

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Denver
| style="text-align:left;" |
|82||36||46||||style="text-align:center;" |4th in Northwest Division||—||—||—||—
|style="text-align:center;" |Did not qualify for playoffs

|-

| style="text-align:left;" |Denver
| style="text-align:left;" |
|59||20||39||||(dismissed)||—||—||—||—
|style="text-align:center;" |—

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" |Overall
|141||56||85||||||—||—||—|||

External links