Warriors Assistant GM KIRK LACOB’s “competitive drive has been evident in the relentless work ethic he displayed to put his imprint all over” the franchise en route to the NBA championship, according to a profile by Rusty Simmons of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The son of Warriors co-owner JOE LACOB, Kirk was “instrumental in the purchase, relocation and retooling of the D-League team to Santa Cruz, has been at the fore of the big club’s use of advanced technology and stats, and has a strong voice in personnel decisions that helped the franchise hoist two trophies this season.” In his first season, Lacob “lobbied the team to start using SportVU, a camera system hung from the rafters that collects data at a rate of 25 times per second and follows the ball and every player on the court and was adopted by the league three years later.” In his third season, he “overcame long odds and opposition to build an arena in Santa Cruz that has become part of the fabric of the beachside town and masterminded a roster that advanced to the D-League finals.” The 27-year-old Lacob said, “Looking back on the five years here, we’ve kind of done exactly what we set out to do. I couldn’t be happier or prouder to be a part of it. A lot of this has been a dream, but I can say with complete assurance that this is exactly how I hoped things would go when I decided to work for my dad” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/21).
