Nuggets add 11-time All-Star to front office

Sue Bird, a three-time WNBA champion, 11-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist, is the newest member of the Denver Nuggets front office. The team announced Friday that they have hired Bird as a basketball operation associate.

“We are very excited to have Sue join our organization,” said Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly in a press release. “Her resume certainly speaks for itself and as a still active player she will offer an extremely unique perspective.”

Bird won two National Championships at the University of Connecticut and ranks first in the WNBA in career games (508), first in career minutes played (16,173), first in assists (2,831), third in points (6,154), and third in three-pointers made (855). She was named to the WNBA All-Decade team in 2006 and selected as one of the WNBA’s top-15 players of all time in 2015.

“I’m really excited to join the Denver Nuggets organization,” said Bird. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to learning from some of the best.”

Bird comes to Denver fresh off a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in September and is still an active WNBA player.

In a recent appearance on The Uninterrupted’s R2C2 podcast, Bird touched on her role with the Nuggets.

“The best way to describe is it as an apprenticeship,” said Bird. “They reached out. I had some mutual friends with the president there Tim Connelly and he just kind of likes to keep athletes in the mix, likes to give them exposure and allow them to learn and give them an opportunity while they’re still playing. Music to my ears. So when he explained that to me I was like, ‘Oh. Yeah. Of course.’ So it’s super loose and a way for me to see what’s what, what I like, develop certain things in my arsenal if you will for scouting and that kind of stuff. It’s obviously a great opportunity. I’m super thankful for it.”

Bird was at a Nuggets practice last month and has attended a few games this season. The 16-year WNBA veteran joins a strong front office alongside Connelly and general manager Arturas Karnisovas.