Ernie Grunfeld

Ernie Grunfeld was the longtime general manager for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. While still in high school, Grunfeld was selected to be a member of the American basketball team in the 1973 Maccabiah Games, where America defeated Isreal in the final game. From 1973-1977 he attended the University of Tennessee from where he played basketball with another NBA player Bernard King. During this time, he also played on the team that won the gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games. The following year, Grunfeld participated in the 1976 Summer Olympics for basketball and again, he took home the gold. In 1977, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Grunfeld as the 11th overall pick. His time with the Bucks was short-lived because in 1979, Grunfeld was traded to the Kansas City Kings, where he played until 1982. In 1982, Grunfeld was traded to the New York Knicks where he played for four years. After retiring from playing the game, Grunfeld held many different positions for the Knicks such as director of administration, vice-president, president and general manager. In 1999, Grunfeld became the General Manager for the Bucks, and in 2003, he was hired by the Wizards to be the president of basketball operations.