Hawks VP of Basketball Operations GRANT LIFFMANN’s “journey to his prominent position” in Atlanta’s front office -- "counts as wildly unconventional and practically unprecedented,” according to Ron Kroichick of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Liffmann completed a “nearly six-year run” with NBC Sports Bay Area, most notable for his role on “Warriors Outsiders” a popular show in which he and former Stanford G DREW SHILLER “entertainingly dissected all things Warriors.” Now, he is “suddenly a fast-rising” NBA exec. Even if he had “zero experience working for a basketball team before” Hawks GM LANDRY FIELDS hired him last year. Liffmann “created an offbeat television show” in which he and Shiller wore Warriors garb on the air, “offering sharp basketball analysis while making fun of each other.” Fields and Liffmann “stayed in close touch” after having been roommates in the late 2000s. Their basketball-focused conversations “multiplied” when Fields became a scout for the Spurs, then GM of the Spurs’ G-League affiliate and eventually joined the Hawks. Fields “also admired Liffmann’s charisma and ability to connect with other people, plus his blend of confidence and humility.” That is a combination Fields “wanted in his peers” if he became an NBA GM. Liffmann “didn’t trace the typical path through the G League” the way many NBA execs do. Liffmann now “oversees the pro scouting and player engagement departments.” That allows Liffmann “to lean on his people skills, helping players develop off the court, and expand his interest in the scouting/strategic side" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/18).
