Ronald Nored showered with love from Pacers in return with Atlanta Hawks
Ronald Nored showered with love from Pacers in return with Atlanta Hawks
The former Butler guard and Pacers assistant coach is now on Quin Snyder's Atlanta Hawks staff.
Ronald Nored was on the basketball court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But instead of wearing blue and gold, he was outfitted in a black dri-fit shirt and black shorts with red trim.
The long-sleeve Nike shirt read “ATLANTA HAWKS BASKETBALL” in red.
After two seasons on Rick Carlisle’s Pacers staff, the Butler University product moved on after the season and later joined Quin Snyder’s new coaching staff in Atlanta.
Nored was emotional as he entered The Fieldhouse Monday afternoon. “It feels good being back, but it was weird coming in the other way though,” he said in a hallway outside the Hawks locker room. This was his first interview since the change.
“I’m excited to be back. It’s been good going up to Butler, seeing my family (Sunday) night and today, and then seeing all the guys from the team. It’s been good to see everyone, catch up, say hello, give hugs.
“Everybody here was so good to me. The person I haven’t seen yet is Rick; that’s the one person I want to see and give a big hug.”
Nored ultimately got that hug from his former boss before the game, a 116-112 Pacers preseason win. But before then, he received dozens of hugs — from Pacers players, coaches, staff members, security and ushers.
Buddy Hield was first, at 4:56 p.m., as Nored stepped onto the court for individual player work. “Are you gonna blitz me in pick-and-rolls?” Hield asked with a big grin on his face.
Nored continued the reunion — there was an abundance of warm smiles — and embraced with T.J. McConnell, then Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek.
After the game, he spent two minutes on the court catching up with players he coached for the past two seasons. Nored said getting the opportunity to be on Carlisle’s staff was a huge blessing.
“I learned a lot from Rick,” he said. “He’s always been so good to me.
“The team is moving in the right direction. I love these guys, know these guys and am really close with Ty (Haliburton). Me, him and one other guy on the staff are still in a group text pretty regularly and I’m excited about what he’s going to do and what they’re going to do. (Just) not against us.”
Nored is a familiar face in Indiana, an outgoing and charming man who made a name for himself in basketball more than a decade ago playing for Brad Stevens at Butler. He arrived in Atlanta after being highly recommended to Snyder by Stevens, now the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, and Carlisle.
“Both those guys, obviously, speak unbelievably highly of Ron,” Snyder said before the game. “Anybody that’s got D League roots, too, is something that I (appreciate).
“When we spoke on the phone, he’s got a good way about him as far as being connective and I know a lot of the players he’s been with previously thought a lot of him too.”
During morning shootaround, Nored was working closely with 2022 first-round pick AJ Griffin.
It would be wise to have Nored spend significant time with Trae Young, the face of the Hawks, given his previous relationships with guards like Malcolm Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton.
Nored spent a few hours Sunday evening on the north side of Indianapolis at Haliburton’s home. They still talk regularly and when the All-Star point guard signed the largest contract in Pacers history in July, one of the individuals Haliburton singled out at his press conference was Nored.