Zydrunas Ilgauskas is now a volunteer high school basketball coach
A group of Ohio high school basketball players will soon have a chance to learn from one of the greatest players in Cleveland Cavaliers history. Four years after his retirement in 2011, 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will take on a role as a volunteer assistant at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. While his role will be relatively minor, it’s a notable connection given his relationship with the city.
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Matt Goul of the Northeast Ohio Media Group has the story (via USA Today):
Ilgauskas will help the Wildcats a few times per week this season as a volunteer, athletic director Rory Fitzpatrick said Friday morning. Ilgauskas expects to attend practice two to three times per week but will not sit on the bench for games, Fitzpatrick said.
“He’ll be more working with the kids, which is fantastic,” Fitzpatrick said. “Anybody who is 7-3 and walks into the gym commands your attention.”
The retired NBA All-Star will help returning first-year coach Brian Becker, whom Fitzpatrick said is friends with Ilgauskas.
I’m pretty sure anyone who is 6-6 also command sattention, so Fitzpatrick is probably underestimating the shock of having a 7-3 two-time All-Star in the building. That’s especially true now that Ilgauskas has had his jersey number retired by the Cavs. It’s rare that a local legend just shows up to teach teenagers the finer points of interior positioning a few times per week.
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It’s also good to see that Big Z is still a part of the Cleveland community. He joined the Cavs as a talent evaluator under former general manager Chris Grant and played a role in recruiting former teammate LeBron James to return to the franchise in the summer of 2015. The 40-year-old Ilgauskas still resides in the area and even serves on the board of the K-12 school Lake Ridge Academy in nearby North Ridgeville.
The Lake Ridge Academy head basketball coach is presumably now wondering why he has not yet received volunteer help from Ilgauskas.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
