Monday 22 July 2019 20:01, UK
The Washington Wizards have made Tommy Sheppard's appointment as general manager official as part of a sweep of changes to the franchise's ownership group's leadership structure.
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis confirmed on Monday the changes to the hierarchy of Monumental Basketball, the newly formed umbrella organisation for the Wizards, Washington Mystics of the WNBA, Capital City Go-Go and Wizards District Gaming.
Sheppard will serve as general manager of the Wizards, while Sashi Brown will be the chief planning and operations officer for Monumental Basketball, and Daniel Medina will have the title of chief of athlete care and performance.
"We have formed a new leadership team with a forward-thinking structure to adapt to the new NBA that requires every possible strategic advantage to compete and win," Leonsis said.
"We are building a leadership brain trust with deep Wizards/NBA experience and with sports professionals from inside and outside the NBA to challenge our thinking and adapt to an ever-increasing competitive environment."
Sheppard will lead strategy, analytics, player personnel, scouting and coaching for the Wizards, the Go-Go of the G-League and District Gaming. Brown will be in charge of all staff in technology, finance, communications, security, research and player engagement areas, and Medina will lead medical, training, mental health, strength and conditioning, nutrition and physical therapy/recovery efforts.
Additionally, the organisation hired former Georgetown and Princeton coach John Thompson III to head the newly formed athlete development and engagement department.
The Wizards recently named Sheppard, entering his 17th year with the team, as their general manager, removing the "interim" tag. Brown formerly was the executive vice president and general counsel of the Cleveland Browns, and Medina spent the past two seasons as the vice president of athlete care for the Philadelphia 76ers.
