Lester Allen Conner was born on September 17,1959 and is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player, who played for numerous NBA teams.
18 Facts About Lester Conner
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Lester Conner was the 14th selection in the first round of the 1982 NBA draft, selected by his hometown Golden State Warriors, for whom he played the first four years of his 12-season NBA career.
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Lester Conner grew up in Oakland, California, where he attended the ethnically diverse Fremont High School.
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In 1978, Lester Conner enrolled at Los Medanos Junior College in Pittsburg, California, where his game expanded dramatically.
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From being a largely unheralded high school player, Lester Conner found himself a blue chip prospect as a transfer player, pursued by some of the leading collegiate programs in America.
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Lester Conner would produce for much of the year off the bench as an invaluable sixth man, gaining notice as a highly skilled passer, gritty rebounder, and lock-down defensive specialist.
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Lester Conner played mostly at the 2-guard position during his senior year, while frequently sharing the chore of advancing the ball against pressure.
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Lester Conner proved his mettle as a passer, finishing the season as the Pac-10's leader in assists, with an average of 5.1 assists per game.
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Lester Conner was voted the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year, following his Oregon State teammate Steve Johnson as recipient of the award, and was tapped as a 1982 AP All-American.
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Lester Conner was remembered by OSU boss Ralph Miller as one of the top five defensive players he coached during his 38-season career.
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Lester Conner earned the nickname "The Molester" for his ball-stealing defensive play.
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Lester Conner won a CBA championship with the Rapid City Thrillers in 1987.
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Lester Conner began his NBA coaching career in 1998 as an assistant to head coach Rick Pitino of the Boston Celtics.
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Lester Conner is considered a protege of former Indiana Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien and has worked under O'Brien on three separate occasions.
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In June, 2007, Lester Conner moved to Indiana, to work for O'Brien and the Pacers.
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On Feb 2,2010, taking over for one game for an absent O'Brien, Lester Conner instituted a few strategic changes such as moving Roy Hibbert closer to the basket and emphasizing an attacking, uptempo style preferred by the players.
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Lester Conner has expressed an interest in returning to his alma mater, Oregon State University, as a head coach, but was informed in 2014 by Beaver Athletic Director Bob De Carolis of the university's unwillingness to make the job available to him due to Lester Conner's lack of a college degree.
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Lester Conner expressed lament at the university's refusal to consider him for what he called "the only university job I want" owing to lack of academic qualification.