BERKELEY – Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a Pac-10 Player of the Year as a Golden Bear who became an NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist and now serves as president of the NBA G League, is the 2019-20 recipient of the Pete Newell Career Achievement Award. The presentation will take place during halftime of Cal's home game against Colorado on Thursday, Feb. 27 at Haas Pavilion in the 10th Pete Newell Classic. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.
 
The annual contest honors the legacy of Cal's Hall of Fame basketball coach and the contributions Newell made to Cal basketball. The Career Achievement Award is presented to a Cal men's basketball alumnus who has distinguished himself in his career accomplishments, upholding the highest ideals of Coach Newell and the University of California.
 
"My time at Cal had an immeasurable impact on shaping me as a person, basketball player and now as an executive, and I couldn't be more proud to receive this tremendous honor," Abdur-Rahim said. "Suiting up alongside my Golden Bears teammates and friends in old Harmon Gym was truly a highlight of my playing days. I'm forever grateful for the lessons I learned in the classroom and on the court – which have stayed with me all these years later."
 
Abdur-Rahim arrived at Cal from Marietta, Georgia, in the fall of 1995 and immediately made his impact on the basketball court, scoring 33 points in his debut game against Northern Arizona. The 6-10 forward went on to average 21.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg during the 1995-96 season, leading the Bears to the NCAA Tournament, and became the first freshman in Pac-10 history to earn both conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season. He was also deemed the National Freshman of the Year for his efforts.
 
Abdur-Rahim declared for the NBA Draft following his one season in Berkeley and was selected with the third pick overall by the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies. During a 12-year NBA career that also included stops in Atlanta, Portland and Sacramento, he contributed 18.1 ppg. An All-Star for the Atlanta Hawks in 2001-02, Abdur-Rahim earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
 
Following his retirement from playing, Abdur-Rahim worked with the Sacramento Kings for five years, serving as an assistant general manager and an assistant coach in addition to spending the 2013-14 season as general manager of the NBA G League's Reno Bighorns (now the Stockton Kings). He also completed his undergraduate education, returning to Cal to earn his degree in sociology in 2012. He later received an MBA from USC.
 
Abdur-Rahim began working at the NBA offices in New York in 2016. He served as vice president of basketball operations before being named president of the NBA G League, the NBA's developmental league with 28 franchises across the country, in December 2018.
 
About Pete Newell
Pete Newell served as Cal's basketball coach from 1954-60, guiding the Bears to the 1959 NCAA Championship and a national runner-up finish in 1960, the same season he was voted the national coach of the year. Cal also reached the NCAA regional final in 1957 and '58 under his leadership. Overall, he led the Bears to four consecutive conference titles (1957-60) while compiling a 119-44 record. Newell coached the 1960 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Rome Olympics and later served as Cal's Director of Athletics from 1960-68.
 
Newell was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a year later. The entire 1960 Olympic team, which included former Golden Bear Darrall Imhoff in addition to Newell as head coach, was enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2010. Newell also earned entry into the FIBA International Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
 
Newell, who was born on Aug. 31, 1915, passed away on Nov. 17, 2008.
 
Previous Pete Newell Career Achievement Award Recipients
2010-11 – Al Buch
2011-12 – Earl Robinson
2012-13 – Andy Wolfe
2013-14 – Earl Shultz
2014-15 – Russ Critchfield
2015-16 – Michael Pitts
2016-17 – Stan Morrison
2017-18 – Ned Averbuck
2018-19 – John Ricksen