Clippers Youth Coach Oscar Pelt Nominated for Jr. NBA Coach of the Year
The Jr. NBA Coach of the Year award is given to a youth basketball coach nominated by an NBA, WNBA, or G League team who is making a positive impact on youth by demonstrating outstanding integrity, character and leadership.
This year, one of the finalists is LA Clippers coach Oscar “OJ” Pelt.
Pelt is 31 years old and has been a youth basketball coach at the Fred Roberts Recreation Center in Los Angeles for the past 14 years. One of the reasons Pelt was selected was his service to the community. He's made it a priority to make trips to his local food bank to ensure all parents have enough food to feed their children, while also working with organizations that provide basketball shoes to those in need.
According to the Jr. NBA site: "The Finalists were selected by a panel of judges, including Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, NBA legend Jason Collins and ESPN Analyst Doris Burke, along with fan voting via social media." Here are the three finals for this season:
- Coach Keela Doerue, nominated by the San Antonio and Austin Spurs
- Coach Chiene Jones, nominated by the New York Knicks
- Coach Oscar Pelt, nominated by the LA Clippers
The ability to coach has been hindered by quarantine, but it hasn't stopped Pelt's ability to help the community. He's currently working at the Central Recreation Center, which has been converted to a homeless shelter due to COVID-19.
As basketball's return looms, the Clipper organization looks to gather more trophies. Steve Ballmer's ultimate goal is to transform the LA Clippers into a premier organization, and coaches like Oscar Pelt, are a step in the right direction.
