FAYETTEVILLE — He may be known as "Tiny," but the NBA hopes he will make a huge impact with its new development basketball league in Fayetteville.
Nate Archibald, better known as "Tiny," is ready to win big in Fayetteville. He is the first head coach for the National Basketball Development League's first team.
"I'm very excited, I can't wait to get started," he says. "It's good weather, good people, good basketball and a good haven for basketball."
Archibald says the state's unique basketball region is what enticed him to enter the NBDL game in Fayetteville. He says being fan-friendly is the way he thinks the team will score a slam dunk.
"We hope to get good players, win a lot of games, but make it a win-win situation off the court, because I think it's important to have loyal fans," he says.
Archibald played in the NBA for 14 years, helping the Boston Celtics come out on top with a national championship. He was also named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players.
"He's a teacher, a coach and he has a commitment to the community that we expect our league to have in every city we'll be in," says Karl Hicks, head of NBDL operations. "He's played at every level of basketball you can play at."
The first tip-off will be this fall with players coming on court this summer. On Wednesday, Archibald took a tour of his new home court and learning his way around the Crown Coliseum. He says his only concern is that the visitors' locker room looks too nice.
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