Josh Oppenheimer (; born January 15, 1969) is an American-Israeli professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
coach and former player. He was most recently an assistant coach for the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA), and the Greek Basketball National team.
Playing career
Oppenheimer played collegiately for
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
and later
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the ...
before embarking on a professional career in the United States and Europe. He spent two summers in the
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...
playing for Atlanta, Philadelphia and Palm Beach and also logged a season in the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
with Cedar Rapids. He also played the
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season basketball competition organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regula ...
and attended training camp with the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
, the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
and the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
respectively. Oppenheimer spent six seasons in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
.
Coaching career
Oppenheimer has coaching experience in the college ranks from
Duquesne,
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
,
DePaul and
Kent State
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, ...
.
NBA
In 2013, Oppenheimer joined the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
coaching staff of head coach
Larry Drew
Larry Donnell Drew (born April 2, 1958) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Drew was named to the Kansas Sports ...
. At the start of the
2016–17 NBA season
The 2016–17 NBA season was the 71st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 25, 2016, with the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting a game against the New York Knicks. The 2017 NBA All-Star G ...
, the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
added Oppenheimer to their coaching staff as an assistant coach.
At the start of the
2017–18 NBA G League season
The 2017–18 NBA G League season was the 17th season of the NBA G League (formerly the NBA D-League), the minor league for the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the first season after the league rebranded to become the NBA G League as ...
, the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
added Oppenheimer to the
Long Island Nets
The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County ...
coaching staff as an assistant coach.
On August 15, 2019, it was announced that added Oppenheimer to the
James Madison
James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
coaching staff as an assistant coach.
On November 17, 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks announced that Oppenheimer has returned to the team as an assistant coach. Oppenheimer became an NBA champion when the Bucks defeated the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
in 6 games of the
2021 NBA Finals
The 2021 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2020–21 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks de ...
.
Personal life
Oppenheimer and his wife Adrienne, a former college volleyball player from
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, have two daughters, Gabriella "Gabbi", who works in finance, and Nicolette "Nikki", who played basketball for
James Madison University
James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...
, having previously played for
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
and
Montini Catholic High School. Nicolette represented the
Puerto Rico women's national under-18 team at the
2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship for Women.
Syracuse recruit and long-range specialist Nikki Oppenheimer expands her horizons
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
See also
* List of foreign NBA coaches
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), foreign coaches—also known as international coaches—are those who were born outside the United States.
This list includes all international coaches who have been assistant and/or head coach in t ...
References
External links
Josh Oppenheimer
at basketball-reference.com
Josh Oppenheimer
at eurobasket.com
Josh Oppenheimer bio
at Excel Basketball
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppenheimer, Josh
1969 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in Israel
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros men's basketball players
Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets players
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens men's basketball coaches
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball coaches
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball coaches
Houston Rockets assistant coaches
James Madison Dukes men's basketball coaches
Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball coaches
Long Island Nets coaches
Maccabi Givat Shmuel players
Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players
Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball players
Point guards
Rhode Island Rams men's basketball players
20th-century American sportsmen