GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Muskegon native Mark Hughes is not one to talk about individual accomplishments.
“It’s all about the entire group,” the 1980's Reeths-Puffer standout explains.
He’s not one to brag either.
“I told you I’m a team player,” he insists.
But if you press him hard enough, he’ll admit as the assistant general manager of the NBA’s LA Clippers, he played a role in helping the team land Kawhi Leonard last year.
“My two years at San Diego State, (former Michigan coach) Steve Fischer was the head coach, so I worked with coach Fisher,” Hughes states. “Kawhi was in high school then but he was on the recruiting board.”
Hughes was gone by the time Leonard played with the Aztecs but a connection was made and it paid off years later as the Clippers landed the hottest free agent in the summer of 2019. It was a big victory for the team, but Hughes was way too busy to celebrate.
“We all want to win an NBA championship, so it’s like whatever it’s going to take,” he says. “If it’s helping you pick out apartments, (or) dealing with family issues.”
Those are just some of his responsibilities. Others include scouting college kids, scouting other NBA teams, traveling with the Clippers and a little bit of coaching too. That’s the job that launched his post-basketball career when his playing days came to an end in the late '90s.
“I absolutely loved it,” he tells 13 On Your Side. “It was watching players from a different perspective."
Eventually, Hughes got out of coaching and transitioned to scouting, and then three years ago he transitioned to his current job with the Clippers. At age 53, it seems like he’s been everywhere and knows everyone, and he says that has played a key part in his professional success.
“(Basketball) is a really, really small circle when you step back and look at it,” he says. “It’s about building relationships.”
Hughes is pretty good at doing what he does, although he’d certainly never be the one to tell you.
More from 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.