Rob Babcock
Encyclopedia
Rob Babcock is an assistant general manager with the Minnesota Timberwolves
of the NBA. He is most notably remembered as the former general manager
of the Toronto Raptors
. Brothers Pete
and Dave are also employed by the NBA.
Babcock has 17 years of NBA management experience. On June 7, 2004, he was named to head the Raptors' basketball operations.
Babcock earned his master’s degree in secondary education and psychology from Arizona State University
in 1977. He received an undergraduate degree in 1974 from Grand Canyon University
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in education and social studies.
Prior to working in the NBA on a full-time basis, he was head coach at Phoenix (Arizona) College, where his teams advanced to the ACCAC playoffs twice and were the regional runners-up in 1986. He joined the NBA in 1987 as the director of scouting for the Denver Nuggets
. He has also held part-time scouting positions with the Detroit Pistons
, Cleveland Cavaliers
, San Diego Clippers and Indiana Pacers
before joining the Nuggets staff.
Babcock then completed a successful tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves after 12 seasons. The last two as the team’s vice-president of player personnel. He served as the director of player personnel from 1994–2002 and two seasons (1992–94) as a full-time scout.
had preferred Julius Erving
as General Manager instead. Despite Carter's personal friendship with MLSE
Chairman Larry Tanenbaum
, the Raptors decided to hire Babcock instead. (Erving has never held any coaching or managerial position with an NBA team.)
Babcock's first move as GM was drafting center Rafael Araujo 8th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft
, a widely criticized move from the onset, considering highly touted swingman Andre Iguodala
was drafted with the next pick. Araujo's disappointing play fuelled criticism of Babcock. As well, prior to the 2004-05
season, Babcock signed mercurial point guard
Rafer Alston
to a 5 year deal. The move backfired, with Alston reportedly threatening to retire after repeated altercations with rookie head coach Sam Mitchell
.
Babcock's best move may have come through free agency when, in the summer of 2005, he made the move to sign Spanish point guard Jose Calderon
. During the 2007-08
season, Calderon was the second most consistent player for the Raptors next to Chris Bosh
, averaging over 8 assists and leading the league in assist/turnover ratio. Babcock also signed center Matt Bonner.
On December 17, 2004 Babcock traded disgruntled star Vince Carter
to the New Jersey Nets
in exchange for Alonzo Mourning
, Aaron Williams
, Eric Williams and two first round draft picks. He came under fire from many Raptor fans who described the trade as lopsided. Mourning would never play a game for the Raptors, and shortly after the trade his contract was bought by the Raptors, supposedly due to a career-threatening injury. However, Mourning would later sign with the Miami Heat
and subsequently played a major role in their NBA Championship in 2006. The two Williams players, played limited minutes for the Raptors prior to being traded in separate deals in 2006. Toronto's record did improve to an almost 50 winning percentage after the trade. However, the departure of Carter from Toronto opened the door for emerging star Chris Bosh
to take the leadership role of the team. As well, trading Carter away removed a large long-term contract (around $15 million per season)). Babcock's successor as Toronto's GM, Bryan Colangelo
, took full advantage of the new salary cap
room after the 2005-06
season to sign free agent
s Anthony Parker
, Jorge Garbajosa
, and Fred Jones.
Another Babcock pick, Joey Graham
, who was drafted with one of the picks acquired from the trade with New Jersey, had a minor role on the Raptors as a bench player before leaving the team to join the Denver Nuggets
in 2009. Roko Ukic was picked in the second round of the same year, and served as the primary backup behind Jose Calderon in 2008-2009
.
Wayne Embry
had originally been hired for the 2004-05 season as the Senior Basketball Advisor to Babcock. With MLSE
citing a lack of confidence in Babcock's abilities, Embry was elevated to Senior Advisor to MLSE President and CEO Richard Peddie
, bypassing Babcock in the chain of command.
In the 2005 NBA Draft
, Babcock again defied experts by drafting Charlie Villanueva
with the 7th overall pick, a move roundly criticized by analysts. However, prior to being traded to Milwaukee
in July 2006, Villanueva played well, if inconsistently, for the Raptors in his rookie season. He earned NBA Rookie of the Month honors in December 2005, scored a rookie-season-high 48 points in March 2006 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and finished as runner-up in the rookie of the year award. Villanueva is currently averaging 16.7ppg and 6.9 rpg with the Bucks in the 2008-2009 season.
Babcock made one other contentious move which would later earn him praise. This was the trading of Alston to the Houston Rockets
for point guard Mike James
on October 4, 2005. James, who left the Raptors after the 2005-06 season, was widely seen as a selfish point guard, but was nonetheless a significant upgrade over the temperamental Alston.
At the opening of the season, a report suggested Babcock claiming that the team would be worse this year than the last. The Raptors began the 2005-06 season losing their first 9 games and 15 out of their first 16. The team improved in December, but continued to struggle in January.
On January 26, 2006, just a year and a half after being hired, Babcock was fired as the General Manager of the team by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Richard Peddie
. Wayne Embry was named GM for the interim, and Bryan Colangelo
, the ex-GM of the Phoenix Suns, was later appointed as Babcock's permanent successor.
Shortly afterwards, Babcock returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves organization as a consultant. On September 14, 2006, Babcock along with Fred Hoiberg
were both hired as assistant general managers for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
of the NBA. He is most notably remembered as the former general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
. Brothers Pete
Pete Babcock
Pete Babcock is the former Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Raptors from 2004–2006, and the former general manager of the Atlanta Hawks from 1990–2003, served in a number of capacities with the Denver Nuggets from 1984-1990 ultimately becoming President/GM...
and Dave are also employed by the NBA.
Babcock has 17 years of NBA management experience. On June 7, 2004, he was named to head the Raptors' basketball operations.
Babcock earned his master’s degree in secondary education and psychology from Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
in 1977. He received an undergraduate degree in 1974 from Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is a for-profit Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Grand Canyon Education . GCU was founded in 1949 as a non-profit liberal arts college. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. purchased Grand Canyon University in February 2004...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in education and social studies.
Prior to working in the NBA on a full-time basis, he was head coach at Phoenix (Arizona) College, where his teams advanced to the ACCAC playoffs twice and were the regional runners-up in 1986. He joined the NBA in 1987 as the director of scouting for the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. He has also held part-time scouting positions with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, San Diego Clippers and Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
before joining the Nuggets staff.
Babcock then completed a successful tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves after 12 seasons. The last two as the team’s vice-president of player personnel. He served as the director of player personnel from 1994–2002 and two seasons (1992–94) as a full-time scout.
General Manager of the Raptors
Babcock left Minnesota to accept the Raptors' GM position. Raptors star Vince CarterVince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
had preferred Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
as General Manager instead. Despite Carter's personal friendship with MLSE
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. is a professional sports company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Among its properties include the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team, Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association team, Toronto FC Major League Soccer team, and the Toronto...
Chairman Larry Tanenbaum
Larry Tanenbaum
Lawrence "Larry" Tanenbaum is a Canadian businessman who is chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment...
, the Raptors decided to hire Babcock instead. (Erving has never held any coaching or managerial position with an NBA team.)
Babcock's first move as GM was drafting center Rafael Araujo 8th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft
2004 NBA Draft
The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible...
, a widely criticized move from the onset, considering highly touted swingman Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
was drafted with the next pick. Araujo's disappointing play fuelled criticism of Babcock. As well, prior to the 2004-05
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
season, Babcock signed mercurial point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston
Rafer Jamel Alston is an American former professional basketball player who last played with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played for six NBA teams...
to a 5 year deal. The move backfired, with Alston reportedly threatening to retire after repeated altercations with rookie head coach Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (basketball)
Samuel "Sam" E. Mitchell, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and a former head coach in the National Basketball Association . He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets....
.
Babcock's best move may have come through free agency when, in the summer of 2005, he made the move to sign Spanish point guard Jose Calderon
José Calderón (basketball)
José Manuel Calderón Borrallo is a Spanish professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors and the Spanish national team.-European career:...
. During the 2007-08
2007-08 NBA season
The 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association. The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, and ended on Wednesday, April 16, 2008...
season, Calderon was the second most consistent player for the Raptors next to Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
, averaging over 8 assists and leading the league in assist/turnover ratio. Babcock also signed center Matt Bonner.
On December 17, 2004 Babcock traded disgruntled star Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
to the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
, Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played at the power forward and center positions.-Basketball career:...
, Eric Williams and two first round draft picks. He came under fire from many Raptor fans who described the trade as lopsided. Mourning would never play a game for the Raptors, and shortly after the trade his contract was bought by the Raptors, supposedly due to a career-threatening injury. However, Mourning would later sign with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and subsequently played a major role in their NBA Championship in 2006. The two Williams players, played limited minutes for the Raptors prior to being traded in separate deals in 2006. Toronto's record did improve to an almost 50 winning percentage after the trade. However, the departure of Carter from Toronto opened the door for emerging star Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
to take the leadership role of the team. As well, trading Carter away removed a large long-term contract (around $15 million per season)). Babcock's successor as Toronto's GM, Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He is the son of Phoenix sports mogul, Jerry Colangelo. He attended Cornell University. He was the 2005 and 2007 recipient of the NBA Executive of the Year Award.-Phoenix:Bryan began his NBA front-office career...
, took full advantage of the new salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
room after the 2005-06
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
season to sign free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s Anthony Parker
Anthony Parker
Anthony Michael Parker is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . After graduating from Bradley University with a major in liberal arts, he entered the 1997 NBA Draft and played briefly in the NBA before...
, Jorge Garbajosa
Jorge Garbajosa
Jorge Garbajosa Chaparro, Jr., nicknamed "Garbo" , is a Spanish professional basketball player. At 2.07 m , he plays both power forward and small forward.-Pro career:*1994-97 Taugres*1997-00 TAU Cerámica...
, and Fred Jones.
Another Babcock pick, Joey Graham
Joey Graham
Joseph "Joey" Graham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.-College career:Graham played at Central Florida from 2000 to 2002, and at Oklahoma State from 2003 to 2005...
, who was drafted with one of the picks acquired from the trade with New Jersey, had a minor role on the Raptors as a bench player before leaving the team to join the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in 2009. Roko Ukic was picked in the second round of the same year, and served as the primary backup behind Jose Calderon in 2008-2009
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
.
Wayne Embry
Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry is a retired American basketball player; a center/forward whose 11-year career spanned from 1959 to 1969...
had originally been hired for the 2004-05 season as the Senior Basketball Advisor to Babcock. With MLSE
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. is a professional sports company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Among its properties include the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team, Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association team, Toronto FC Major League Soccer team, and the Toronto...
citing a lack of confidence in Babcock's abilities, Embry was elevated to Senior Advisor to MLSE President and CEO Richard Peddie
Richard Peddie
Richard A. Peddie is the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion...
, bypassing Babcock in the chain of command.
In the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, Babcock again defied experts by drafting Charlie Villanueva
Charlie Villanueva
Charlie Alexander Villanueva is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association....
with the 7th overall pick, a move roundly criticized by analysts. However, prior to being traded to Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in July 2006, Villanueva played well, if inconsistently, for the Raptors in his rookie season. He earned NBA Rookie of the Month honors in December 2005, scored a rookie-season-high 48 points in March 2006 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and finished as runner-up in the rookie of the year award. Villanueva is currently averaging 16.7ppg and 6.9 rpg with the Bucks in the 2008-2009 season.
Babcock made one other contentious move which would later earn him praise. This was the trading of Alston to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for point guard Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
on October 4, 2005. James, who left the Raptors after the 2005-06 season, was widely seen as a selfish point guard, but was nonetheless a significant upgrade over the temperamental Alston.
At the opening of the season, a report suggested Babcock claiming that the team would be worse this year than the last. The Raptors began the 2005-06 season losing their first 9 games and 15 out of their first 16. The team improved in December, but continued to struggle in January.
On January 26, 2006, just a year and a half after being hired, Babcock was fired as the General Manager of the team by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Richard Peddie
Richard Peddie
Richard A. Peddie is the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion...
. Wayne Embry was named GM for the interim, and Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He is the son of Phoenix sports mogul, Jerry Colangelo. He attended Cornell University. He was the 2005 and 2007 recipient of the NBA Executive of the Year Award.-Phoenix:Bryan began his NBA front-office career...
, the ex-GM of the Phoenix Suns, was later appointed as Babcock's permanent successor.
Shortly afterwards, Babcock returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves organization as a consultant. On September 14, 2006, Babcock along with Fred Hoiberg
Fred Hoiberg
Fredrick Kristian Hoiberg is the head men's basketball coach at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he grew up and had played college basketball...
were both hired as assistant general managers for the Timberwolves.