Sam Cassell
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Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American 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
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
who serves as an assistant coach for the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
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). Drafted 24th overall in the
1993 NBA draft The 1993–94 NBA season, 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Pen ...
out of
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
, Cassell played for eight different teams during his 15-year career. He was selected to the
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
and
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
once, both in the 2003–04 season. In his first two seasons, he helped the Houston Rockets win back to back championships, in 1994 and 1995, and won a third with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
in
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, his last season. He also helped 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 ...
and
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
reach the Conference Finals of the playoffs in 2001 and 2004 respectively, the latter's first-ever in franchise history, and helped the Los Angeles Clippers to their first-ever playoff series victory in 2006. Known for his mid-range jumpshot, Cassell often made clutch baskets late in the fourth quarter to help his team win games.


College career

After graduating from Paul Laurence Dunbar Community High School in East
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, Cassell spent a year at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine, under coach
Max Good Max Good (born July 16, 1941) is an American basketball coach. He was head men's basketball coach at Maine Central Institute, Bryant University, Loyola Marymount University, and Pratt Community College. Early life and education Good grew up i ...
. From MCI, Cassell was successfully recruited to attend
DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...
. He was declared academically ineligible based on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Proposition 48 standards, and ended up starting his college career at San Jacinto College in
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, where he was known as a big scorer. He moved on to
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
in Tallahassee for his junior and senior years. In his senior year in 1992–93, he averaged 18.3
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, 4.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game and led the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
(ACC) in steals. Cassell and teammate Bob Sura formed the highest scoring and rebounding backcourt in the
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with 38.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Cassell's 1992–93 Seminoles team finished with a 25–10 record and advanced to the
Elite Eight In the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, NCAA men's Division I basketball championship or the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, NCAA women's Division I basketball championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight t ...
in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the University of Kentucky's Wildcats. On February 14, 2008, in a game against Wake Forest, Cassell's jersey was retired by
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
.


Playing career


Houston Rockets (1993–1996)

Cassell was selected out of
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
with the 24th overall pick of the
1993 NBA draft The 1993–94 NBA season, 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Pen ...
by 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) ...
. Playing mostly as a backup to Kenny Smith, Cassell developed a reputation as "clutch" and was usually on the court for the fourth quarter of close games. He was a key contributor during the Rockets playoff run his rookie year, notably dropping 22 points and seven assists in a Game 7 win against 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 the Western Conference Semifinals, and scoring 7 points in the final 32 seconds of a 93–89 win in game 3 of the
1994 NBA Finals The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference cham ...
against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. The Rockets would win the championship in seven games. Cassell saw an increase in his role during his second year, appearing in all 82 games that season. He again helped the Rockets reach the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
for the second consecutive year. In game 2 of the Finals against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
, Cassell scored 31 points. The Rockets swept the Magic, giving Cassell his second championship in just two years in the league. In his third season, the two-time defending champion Rockets were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Seattle SuperSonics. Cassell's minutes, scoring and usage rates all increased in his third season, but he missed 21 games with injuries. Rockets management feared their window of winning another championship with Olajuwon, Drexler and Smith was closing, and looked to trade for another star-caliber player.


Phoenix Suns (1996)

After the 1995–96 season, he was traded to 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 ...
, along with Robert Horry, Chucky Brown, and Mark Bryant, in exchange for former league MVP
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...
. Cassell, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, frequently clashed with head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons; Fitzsimmons subsequently resigned following an 0–8 start. On December 12, 1996, Cassell led the 5–14 Suns into Utah and defeated the Jazz who at the time were on a 15-game winning streak. Cassell scored 21 points in the 95–87 road win. Under new head coach
Danny Ainge Daniel Ray Ainge ( ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as the chief executive officer for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
, the Suns saw marked improvement with Cassell leading the team with 14.8 points per game.


Dallas Mavericks (1996–97)

On December 27, 1996, just 22 games into the season, he was traded along with
Michael Finley Michael Howard Finley (born March 6, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who is the assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He ...
, A.C. Green, and a second-round draft pick to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in exchange for
Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
,
Tony Dumas Tony Dumas (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. College career Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dumas played collegiately at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), whose athletic program is now known ...
, and Loren Meyer. Though Cassell had begun to develop chemistry with the Suns and Coach Ainge, team management felt they could not pass up the opportunity to trade for Kidd.


New Jersey Nets (1997–1999)

Midway through the 1996–97 season, after appearing in 16 games for the Mavericks, he was traded with Chris Gatling, Jim Jackson, George McCloud, and Eric Montross to the
New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
in exchange for Shawn Bradley,
Ed O'Bannon Edward Charles O'Bannon Jr. (born August 14, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a power forward (basketball), power forward for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball, UCLA Br ...
, Robert Pack, and Khalid Reeves on February 17, 1997. The Nets would be the third team that Cassell played for just that season. During his time with the Nets, Cassell lived in
Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held ...
. Following the season, though he considered an offer to return to Houston, Cassell elected to re-sign with the Nets on a six-year contract. Forming one of the league's most potent backcourts with Kerry Kittles, Cassell averaged 19.6 points, 8 assists and 1.6 steals in 34 minutes per game for the Nets that year, and helped lead them to the playoffs for their first time in four years. However, they were swept by
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
and the Bulls in the first round. Led by coach
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...
, who pushed the team to trade for then re-sign Cassell, the Nets were favorites in the Eastern conference entering the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. However, Cassell sustained an injury in the first game of the season and the Nets started 3–15.


Milwaukee Bucks (1999–2003)

On March 11, 1999, Cassell was again traded in a three team, eight player trade that sent
Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who was also the head coach for the Beijing Royal Fighters of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) from 2019–2023. After his freshman year ...
to the Nets, Terrell Brandon to Minnesota Timberwolves, and Cassell to 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 ...
. Under their new coach
George Karl George Matthew Karl (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he became an assistant with the team before being appointed as a head coach ...
, Cassell formed a "Big 3" with
Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
and Glenn Robinson. In the first game of the following season, on November 2, 1999, Cassell led all scorers with 35 points alongside 11 assists in a 98–93 victory against 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) ...
. On November 26, Cassell again led all scorers with 28 points, with 14 assists, this time in a 114–112 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. On March 3, 2001, he scored his career-high of 40 points against the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. During All-Star Weekend in
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, he won the
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Shootout at Jam Session on All-Star Saturday. That season, after defeating the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
and
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
in the first two rounds of the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, he almost reached the
Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
with the Bucks, falling just short when they lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. During the 2002–03 season, he passed 10,000 points for his career. On December 9, 2002, in one of the best games of his career, Cassell recorded a triple double with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a double overtime 140–133 victory against the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
. On March 28, 2008, Cassell was honored as one of the 20 greatest players in
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 ...
history during the team's 40th Anniversary Celebration.Charles F. Gardner
Forward march: Dandridge proud of legacy he left with team
, '' JS Online'', March 28, 2008.


Minnesota Timberwolves (2003–2005)

After spending four seasons with the Bucks, he was traded along with Ervin Johnson to the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
in exchange for Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler following the 2003 NBA draft. Cassell enjoyed his most successful season as an individual that year. He posted 19.8 points on 49% shooting, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 35 minutes per game on the year. He was named to the
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
and voted into the
2004 NBA All-Star Game The 2004 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played on February 15, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Lakers and Clippers. This game was the 53rd edition of the North American National Basketball ...
. Cassell,
Latrell Sprewell Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Du ...
and
Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power f ...
formed what was widely considered the best trio in the NBA that season, vaulting past Western Conference powerhouses 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 ...
,
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
,
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
for the number one seed in the Western Conference, with a franchise-best 58–24 record. Cassell made his playoff debut with the Timberwolves scoring a franchise playoff record 40 points, in a first-round game 1 win against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. Minnesota would win the series in five games. They faced the Sacramento Kings in the next round, with Cassell again dropping 40 points in the series opener. A series of late-game heroics from Cassell helped the Timberwolves defeat the Kings in seven games. Cassell however sustained a back injury that limited him in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, which the Lakers would win in six games. The following year, the Timberwolves finished 44–38, missing the playoffs by one game in the competitive Western Conference. Cassell, who appeared in only 59 games that season due to injuries, voiced his frustration over the midseason firing of
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High schoo ...
and not being offered a contract extension.


Los Angeles Clippers (2005–2008)

After the 2004–05 season, the Timberwolves traded Cassell and a conditional first-round pick to 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 ...
in exchange for Marko Jarić and Lionel Chalmers. The trade is widely considered among the NBA's most lopsided ever; Chalmers never played another game in the NBA, and Jaric was traded after three unproductive yet overpaid seasons. Cassell meanwhile led the Clippers to their then-most successful season, and the draft pick from Minnesota was used by the Clippers as part of the
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
trade. The Timberwolves would not qualify for the postseason again until 2018. Cassell appeared to have found a home with the Clippers, as he helped lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 1997, with their best record in team history at 47–35. Since the team moved to California in 1978, they had compiled just three winning seasons. In the first round, they beat the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
in five games, but would fall to 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 seven games in the Conference Semifinals. Between their move to California in 1978 and
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
's arrival in 2011, this would be the only year that the Clippers won a playoff series. Before the 2006–07 season, Cassell was reportedly offered a two-year, $15 million offer from 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 ...
, but eventually re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year, $13 million deal. Cassell struggled with injuries that season, and the Clippers missed the playoffs by two games. With Elton Brand, Shaun Livingston, Chris Kaman and others suffering major injuries, the Clippers started rebuilding throughout the 2007–08 season. Although Cassell was initially reluctant to discuss leaving the Clippers, he eventually decided to listen to their buyout offers. On February 28, 2008, the Clippers reached a contractual buyout agreement with Cassell and placed him on waivers. According to the agreement, Cassell received half of his remaining salary, roughly $850,000.


Boston Celtics (2008–2009)

Cassell became an
unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
on March 3, 2008, when he cleared waivers, and was eligible to sign with a team of his choice.Marc J. Spears
Cassell gets buyout; next stop Boston?
, ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', February 28, 2008.
Although the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
,
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
and
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 ...
were interested in his services, he was strongly linked with a poised move to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
and was expected to be in Boston once he cleared waivers. On March 1, 2008, Cassell's
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
, David Falk, confirmed that Cassell would sign a contract with the Celtics for the remainder of the season if he cleared waivers, receiving a prorated amount of the veteran minimum of $1.2M. Cassell said that he would wear either No. 28 or No. 91 on his jersey, and eventually chose No. 28. According to his
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
, Cassell had signed a contract with the Celtics on March 3, 2008, but the signing was pending an official league announcement.Peter May
Cassell clears waivers, signs with Celtics
, ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', March 3, 2008.
His arrival was delayed because of a death in his family. On March 4, 2008, Cassell officially signed with the Celtics, but immediately flew back to his hometown of
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
to attend funeral services for his deceased family member. He made his debut against the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
on March 10, 2008. In Boston, Cassell was reunited with former teammates
Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power f ...
and
Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
. On March 17, 2008, Cassell had a standout performance in a
Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...
matchup against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, when he led the team from a 22-point deficit to a 2-point victory, scoring 17 points and hitting a clutch shot late in the game. Cassell, along with Eddie House, James Posey,
P.J. Brown Collier "P. J." Brown Jr. (born October 14, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The , center/power forward was selected out of Louisiana Tech University by the New ...
, and Leon Powe, gave the Celtics arguably the best bench in the NBA that season. They helped the Celtics finish with an NBA-best 66–16 record en route to the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
. The Celtics defeated the Lakers 4–2, with the Celtics bench out-scoring the Lakers' in five of the six games. The win gave Cassell his third championship, which would also be the last game he played. During the 2008–09 season, Cassell served as an unofficial assistant to head coach
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
; though he did not play in any games, he was still officially listed as an active player. On February 17, 2009, Cassell was traded to 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 ...
for a conditional second-round draft pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The move was done strictly for salary cap purposes and Cassell was not expected to play for the Kings. One day later, Sacramento waived him. Cassell cleared waivers and was eligible to re-sign with Boston or another contender, but opted to sit out the remainder of the season, and he announced his retirement in May 2009. In 2015,
Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. As of September 2024, he is a contributo ...
stated that he felt he, Garnett and Cassell were the real "Big 3" of the Celtics 2008 championship team.


Coaching career


Washington Wizards (2009–2014)

On May 21, 2009, Cassell was named
assistant coach An athletic coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction, and training of a sports team or athlete. History The original sense of the word ''Coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ul ...
of the Washington Wizards, joining
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High schoo ...
who was his coach in Minnesota. John Wall, who was drafted first overall by the Wizards in 2010, credits Cassell for his development into one of the NBA's premier point guards and leadership during the team's Eastern Conference semi-finals appearance in
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
– their first playoff series win since 2005. During the 2014 offseason, Cassell's former teammate Paul Pierce signed with the Wizards, and admitted he made the decision to sign with Washington after speaking with Cassell.


Los Angeles Clippers (2014–2020)

After five seasons with the Wizards, Cassell was hired by the Los Angeles Clippers on September 29, 2014, to join
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
' staff as assistant coach.


Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2023)

On November 9, 2020, the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
hired Cassell as an assistant coach under
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
.


Boston Celtics (2023–present)

On June 4, 2023, the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
hired Cassell as an assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla. Cassell won his fourth NBA championship when the Celtics defeated the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in 5 games in the
2024 NBA Finals The 2024 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2023–24 NBA season, 2023–24 season and conclusion to 2024 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoffs series, the Eastern ...
. It was Cassell's first championship as a coach.


Media

Cassell appeared on
TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
's ''NBA Fundamentals'' series, in which
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 ...
players describe certain aspects of the game. He was chosen to illustrate the "mid-range game", i.e. shooting from the area around the
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
line, the paint, the wings and the baseline. In this clip, Cassell explains how to post up against opposing guards, shoot pull-up jump shots and hit
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
s. He admires retired
NBA 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 ...
players Terrell Brandon and Jeff Hornacek, two prolific mid-range shooters after whom he modeled his game.


Personal life

His son, Sam Cassell Jr., played for Iona College. Cassell Jr. also played for and earned his associate's and bachelor's degrees from
Chipola College Chipola College is a public college in Marianna, Florida, United States. It is part of the Florida College System. History The school was founded in 1947 as Chipola Junior College; its name was changed in 2003 after the college developed sever ...
and the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
respectively. In 2017, Cassell Jr. was signed on the Summer League squad for
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",
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, 66 , , 6 , , 17.0 , , .418 , , .295 , , .841 , , 2.0 , , 2.9 , , .9 , , .1 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 1 , , 23.0 , , .427 , , .330 , , .843 , , 2.6 , , 4.9 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 61 , , 0 , , 27.6 , , .439 , , .348 , , .825 , , 3.1 , , 4.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3, , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 22 , , 9 , , 24.5 , , .415 , , .306 , , .855 , , 2.3 , , 4.5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 16 , , 13 , , 24.9 , , .424 , , .306 , , .840 , , 3.1 , , 3.6 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, 23 , , 22 , , 33.8 , , .443 , , .392 , , .831 , , 3.6 , , 6.5 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 19.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, 75 , , 72 , , 34.7 , , .441 , , .188 , , .860 , , 3.0 , , 8.0 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, 4 , , 3 , , 25.0 , , .429 , , .143 , , .935 , , 1.5 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .0 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 24.8 , , .409 , , .333 , , .947 , , 2.3 , , 4.3 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 35.8 , , .466 , , .289 , , .876 , , 3.7 , , 9.0 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 76 , , 75 , , 35.6 , , .474 , , .306 , , .858 , , 3.9 , , 7.6 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 74 , , 73 , , 35.2 , , .463 , , .348 , , .860 , , 4.2 , , 6.7 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 78 , , 77 , , 34.6 , , .470 , , .362 , , .861 , , 4.4 , , 5.8 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 35.0 , , .488 , , .398 , , .873 , , 3.3 , , 7.3 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 19.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 59 , , 38 , , 25.8 , , .464 , , .262 , , .865 , , 2.7 , , 5.1 , , .6 , , .2 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 78 , , 75 , , 34.0 , , .443 , , .368 , , .863 , , 3.7 , , 6.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 58 , , 30 , , 24.3 , , .418 , , .294 , , .879 , , 2.9 , , 4.7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;" rowspan=2, † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 38 , , 33 , , 25.7 , , .455 , , .259 , , .891 , , 2.8 , , 4.7 , , .7 , , .1 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 17 , , 1 , , 17.6 , , .385 , , .409 , , .840 , , 1.8 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .2 , , 7.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 993 , , 690 , , 30.0 , , .454 , , .331 , , .861 , , 3.2 , , 6.0 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 15.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 13.0 , , .667 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 7.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 4.0


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
† , style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 22 , , 0 , , 21.7 , , .394 , , .378 , , 865 , , 2.7 , , 4.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 9.4 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
† , style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 22 , , 0 , , 22.0 , , .438 , , .400 , , .835 , , 1.9 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 8 , , 0 , , 25.8 , , .321 , , .276 , , .793 , , 2.1 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, style="text-align:left;",
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, 3 , , 1 , , 8.7 , , .333 , , , , , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , .0 , , .3 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 34.0 , , .500 , , .000 , , .875 , , 2.0 , , 8.7 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 35.6 , , .417 , , .200 , , .857 , , 3.4 , , 9.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 37.9 , , .396 , , .333 , , .866 , , 4.6 , , 6.7 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 17.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 36.2 , , .470 , , .524 , , .933 , , 3.2 , , 2.7 , , .5 , , .2 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 16 , , 15 , , 31.1 , , .465 , , .417 , , .852 , , 2.5 , , 4.4 , , .8 , , .2 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 12 , , 12 , , 33.7 , , .437 , , .349 , , .809 , , 4.0 , , 5.8 , , .7 , , .2 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
† , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 21 , , 0 , , 12.6 , , .333 , , .214 , , .824 , , .7 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 136 , , 60 , , 26.0 , , .414 , , .363 , , .847 , , 2.6 , , 4.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 12.2


See also

* List of NBA career assists leaders * List of NBA career free throw percentage leaders


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassell, Sam 1969 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen African-American basketball coaches American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Maryland Basketball players from Baltimore Basketball players from Bergen County, New Jersey Boston Celtics assistant coaches Boston Celtics players Dallas Mavericks players Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches Los Angeles Clippers players Maine Central Institute alumni Milwaukee Bucks players Minnesota Timberwolves players NBA All-Stars New Jersey Nets players Philadelphia 76ers assistant coaches Phoenix Suns players Point guards San Jacinto Central Ravens men's basketball players Sportspeople from Teaneck, New Jersey Washington Wizards assistant coaches