Ernest Grunfeld was born on April 24,1955 and is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association.
23 Facts About Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld won gold medals with Team USA at the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Ernie Grunfeld began his professional career as a player with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ernie Grunfeld served as General Manager of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association from 1989 to 1999, and as the Bucks General Manager from 1999 to 2003, and then became the president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards from 2003 to 2019.
Ernie Grunfeld is Jewish, and his parents are Holocaust survivors.
Ernie Grunfeld grew up in Forest Hills, in Queens, New York City, where he attended Forest Hills High School.
Ernie Grunfeld attended the University of Tennessee, where he played basketball with future NBA Hall of Famer Bernard King.
Ernie Grunfeld was drafted 11th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1977 NBA draft.
Ernie Grunfeld averaged 7.4 points per game in his NBA career.
Ernie Grunfeld was selected to participate as a member of the American basketball team at the 1973 Maccabiah Games, while he was still attending high school.
Ernie Grunfeld played on the team that won a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.
Ernie Grunfeld participated in the basketball event at the 1976 Summer Olympics, again winning the gold medal.
Ernie Grunfeld was then appointed vice president and general manager on July 21,1993.
Ernie Grunfeld became president and general manager on February 23,1996.
Ernie Grunfeld was responsible for bringing every player on that roster to the team except for Patrick Ewing.
Ernie Grunfeld held the position for four seasons, during which the Bucks made the playoffs three times and enjoyed 14 playoff wins.
Ernie Grunfeld was hired by the Washington Wizards as president of basketball operations in June 2003.
In 2004, Ernie Grunfeld traded the number five pick in the 2004 NBA draft along with Jerry Stackhouse for All-Star Antawn Jamison.
Ernie Grunfeld traded Kwame Brown for All-Star Caron Butler.
Ernie Grunfeld drafted Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft.
Ernie Grunfeld sold the Wizards 2014 2nd-round pick for $2 million to the Lakers, who then drafted Jordan Clarkson.
In 1993, Ernie Grunfeld was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Ernie Grunfeld was inducted into the PSAL Wingate Fund Hall of Fame.