Bob Weiss

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Weiss was born on May 7, 1942, in Easton, Pennsylvania. He played high school basketball at Athens Area High School in Athens, Pennsylvania. He played college basketball at Penn State University from 1963 to 1965, where he averaged 16.3 points per game during his senior season. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1965 NBA draft in the third round with the 22nd overall selection. He interspersed his career with the 76ers with a stint in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL), where he played for the Wilmington Blue Bombers. He won EPBL championships with the Blue Bombers in 1966 and 1967. He led the EPBL in assists in the 1966–67 season and was named to the All-EPBL First Team that season. In 1967, Weiss was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship team. In the 1967 NBA expansion draft, he was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics. Weiss played in the NBA for twelve seasons, including six with the Chicago Bulls. After retiring as a player in 1977, he briefly worked for an investment firm in Anaheim, California. In 1978, he joined the San Diego Clippers as an assistant coach. In 1980, he moved to the Dallas Mavericks, an expansion franchise. After six years in Dallas, he accepted his first head coaching job in 1986 with the San Antonio Spurs. He coached the Spurs for two seasons, never posting a winning record. He did, however, lead them to the playoffs in 1988. After one year as an assistant with the Orlando Magic, Weiss moved to the Atlanta Hawks as head coach. In three seasons, his Hawks teams posted a record of 124–122 and made the playoffs twice. Weiss left the Hawks in 1993. He spent one year as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers before joining the SuperSonics as an assistant coach. He served in that post for 12 years under both George Karl and Nate McMillan, going to the NBA Finals in 1996. He was promoted to head coach in 2005 after McMillan left for the Portland Trail Blazers. However, Weiss did not last even one season, as the Sonics struggled to a losing record. After a 13–17 start to the 2005–06 season, his three-year deal was terminated on January 3, 2006, and he was replaced with Bob Hill. In 2008, Weiss went to China to coach the Shanxi Brave Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association. He also coached for the Shandong Lions. In 2012, Weiss joined the Atlanta Hawks' coaching staff. The next year, he became an

In Their Own Story

The Cow Palace hummed with a low, electric tension, the air thick with humidity and the roar of a packed crowd. The clock was bleeding down in a grudge match against an Eastern rival, every possession feeling like a battle for territory. Rick Barry held the ball, his gaze locked on the collapsing defense. But Weiss didn't need to call for it; he simply knew where to be. He cut hard toward the corner, a blur of motion that created a sliver of space in the chaos. The pass found him instantly. One dribble left, eyes already scanning the floor, and a crisp outlet rocketed to a streaking teammate. It wasn't a dunk, but it was the perfect play—the kind that wins games without ever making the highlight reel. As the crowd erupted, Weiss adjusted his jersey, his face an island of calm, already dissecting the next possession.

Reader's Guide

Bob Weiss is a former NBA player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Chicago Bulls. He coached for multiple NBA teams including the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Seattle SuperSonics. He also coached in China.

Did You Know?

• Bob Weiss was born on May 7, 1942, in Easton, Pennsylvania.
• He played college basketball at Penn State University.
• He won an NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967.
• He led the EPBL in assists in the 1966–67 season.
• He coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals in 1996 as an assistant coach.