Kiki Vandeweghe

For Kiki Vandeweghe, the chance to play for the New York Knicks, after spending his first nine pro basketball seasons in Denver and Portland, was an opportunity to carry on a rich family tradition. His father, Dr. Ernie Vandeweghe, was a popular guard for the Knicks in the early '50s, known for his relentless hustle and unselfish play.

Though no decision is imminent, the Clippers have begun the process of finding a general manager to replace the departed Neil Olshey, according to officials from three NBA teams who were not authorized to speak publicly on the Clippers situation. Clippers President Andy Roeser and Coach Vinny Del Negro have discussed possible GM candidates, but they haven't yet taken anything to owner Donald Sterling. Kiki Vandeweghe, former general manager of the Denver Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets, interviewed with Roeser last week, the officials said.

New York Knick forward Kiki Vandeweghe was placed on the injured list because of back spasms.

Retired pro basketball player Kiki Vandeweghe has bought an estate in Encino for $2.25 million. Sitting on a corner site of 1.23 acres, the 5,773-square-foot home has an updated kitchen with limestone counters, a breakfast nook and commercial grade appliances; a formal dining room; living and family rooms; five bedrooms, two of which are master suites; and six bathrooms. There is a tennis court, a swimming pool, an expansive covered patio, custom fountains and lawns. Vandeweghe, 52, is a former head coach and general manager of the New Jersey Nets.

Former Laker Coach Pat Riley made a successful return to coaching as Kiki Vandeweghe scored 21 points and keyed a third-quarter spurt that carried the New York Knicks to a 117-91 exhibition victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Former Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe has joined the New Jersey Nets as a special assistant to team President Rod Thorn. Vandeweghe, the Nuggets' general manager from 2001-06, will help Thorn prepare for the NBA draft and evaluate players. Before joining the Nuggets, Vandeweghe spent two seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Clippers on Sunday signed rookie holdout Elmore Spencer to a three-year contract worth an estimated $1.65 million and veteran free agent Kiki Vandeweghe for one year at the NBA minimum of $140,000. Two other free agents, swingman Jaren Jackson and center Tito Horford, also signed partially guaranteed contracts. Spencer, the 25th pick in the draft, is expected to backup Stanley Roberts at center. Vandeweghe, a 12-year veteran, played a season for Clipper Coach Larry Brown at UCLA.

The Portland Trail Blazers say that Kiki Vandeweghe is scheduled to undergo a physical today in New York before a possible trade with the Knicks. "It is just one step in the ongoing process of discussing a trade which may be made in the next few days," said Bucky Buckwalter, vice president of basketball operations for the Blazers. Buckwalter said that trade talks with other teams had reached an impasse but that he was determined to make a deal for Vandeweghe.

Kiki Vandeweghe scored 25 points, and six other Portland players were in double figures Saturday night as the Trail Blazers routed the Clippers, 139-89, in a National Basketball Assn. exhibition game. It was the Blazers' sixth victory in seven exhibition games and their second over the Clippers, who finished their exhibition season at 3-5. The Blazers broke the game open midway through the second period, scoring nine straight points after the Clippers had tied it, 33-33.

New Jersey Nets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe is set to become the team's coach for the rest of the season. He doesn't have to worry about being on the bench for a potential record-setting loss, though. Vandeweghe won't coach his first game with the team until Friday, a person with knowledge of the team's plans told the Associated Press on Monday. The person requested anonymity because the Nets don't plan to announce their plans until this morning. Tom Barrise , who led the team Sunday night after Lawrence Frank was fired, will coach again Wednesday against Dallas, when the Nets can set an NBA record with an 18th straight loss to begin a season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Former Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe has joined the New Jersey Nets as a special assistant to team President Rod Thorn. Vandeweghe, the Nuggets' general manager from 2001-06, will help Thorn prepare for the NBA draft and evaluate players. Before joining the Nuggets, Vandeweghe spent two seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development for the Dallas Mavericks.

For basketball fans with an appetite for offense, it did not get any better than Dec. 13, 1983, when the Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets, 186-184, in triple overtime, the highest-scoring game in NBA history. Kiki Vandeweghe led the Nuggets with 51 points. "Everybody was worn out," Vandeweghe told Sport magazine. "I just went home that night and crawled into bed. I didn't have anything to eat."

Ernest Maurice Vandeweghe III, a month into his 13th NBA season and four months into his 34th year, climbs aboard a stationary bicycle in the Clippers' exercise room at the Sports Arena and begins to crank away, quickly accelerating to the desired speed. He stays there 35 minutes, never breaking the rhythmic pace even as he talks.

Linked for parts of three decades, by friendship as well as basketball, Larry Brown and Kiki Vandeweghe are reunited. They first hooked up during the 1979-80 season at UCLA, Brown's first at the school and Vandeweghe's last, the year the Bruins finished fourth in the Pacific 10 Conference but reached the NCAA final before losing to Louisville.

The Clippers on Sunday signed rookie holdout Elmore Spencer to a three-year contract worth an estimated $1.65 million and veteran free agent Kiki Vandeweghe for one year at the NBA minimum of $140,000. Two other free agents, swingman Jaren Jackson and center Tito Horford, also signed partially guaranteed contracts. Spencer, the 25th pick in the draft, is expected to backup Stanley Roberts at center. Vandeweghe, a 12-year veteran, played a season for Clipper Coach Larry Brown at UCLA.

Julius Erving, playing his final NBA game in Portland, scored 29 points Sunday night, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-119 victory over the Trail Blazers. Tim McCormick and Maurice Cheeks triggered a second-half surge that lifted the 76ers to their third straight victory and handed Portland its fifth loss in six games. McCormick scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Cheeks scored 24 points and had 10 assists.

After scoring 32 points, including 11 to pull the Portland Trail Blazers ahead in the fourth quarter, Kiki Vandeweghe preferred to talk about his team's defense rather than his performance. "What brings you back on the road is the same thing for every team: defense," Vandeweghe said after a 127-118 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics Sunday night. "You make them take some tough shots and you get your fast break going."

Michael Smith is gone from the Boston Celtics, cut before the start of the season, but he is not forgotten. Celtic fans still are upset that the team wasted a first-round draft choice in 1989 on the former Brigham Young and Hacienda Heights Los Altos High star. Wrote Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe: "Was Michael Smith a boo-boo? Yes.

Former Laker Coach Pat Riley made a successful return to coaching as Kiki Vandeweghe scored 21 points and keyed a third-quarter spurt that carried the New York Knicks to a 117-91 exhibition victory over the Dallas Mavericks.