Shooting coach Chip Engelland joins OKC Thunder staff

MANILA, Philippines – Former Philippine national team player and world renowned shooting coach Chip “The Machine Gun” Engelland is joining the staff of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA after a decorated career with the San Antonio Spurs.

Engelland, a naturalized Filipino that bannered the RP Five in the 80s, spent 17 years with the Spurs as their sniping guru and is expected to bring over the same touch with the up and coming Thunder squad.

The 61-year-old California native was the culprit in turning the Spurs, particularly Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, to a sweet shooting unit that had its own NBA era with five championships.

In Oklahoma, he will guide a young squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and this year’s second overall draft pick Chet Holmgren.

But unknown to many, the Duke product Engelland first made his mark in his illustrious basketball journey for the Philippines.

Along with Dennis Still and Jeff Moore, Engelland helped the Philippine team under legend Ron Jacobs and backed by the Northern Consolidated Cement win the 1985 Jones Cup against no less than the United States.

Engelland did not make it to the 1985 Asian Basketball Confederation (now known as FIBA Asia Championship), which the Philippines also won, due to residency requirement but spearheaded NCC’s title run in the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference.

He would spend his time in other leagues before landing in the NBA starting as a deputy coach for the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets in the 2000s.