Vipers Announce 2024-25 Basketball Staff
November 5, 2024 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
EDINBURG, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the NBA G League Affiliate of the Houston Rockets, announced today the Vipers basketball staff for the 2024-25 season.
General Manager Travis Stockbridge returns to the Vipers alongside Assistant Coach Robbie Keck, Head Athletic Trainer Kimberly McCartney, Assistant Athletic Trainer Craig Skinner, Equipment and Travel Coordinator Benjamin Rodriguez and Basketball Operations staff: Mire Chatman, Alex Dellett, Isaiah Garcia and Isaiah Torres.
Returning to the RGV are Head Coach Joseph Blair and Director of Equipment and Logistics Jaime Gonzalez.
Blair returns to the team after giving the Vipers its third championship during the 2018-19 season. He originally joined the Vipers in 2015 where he served as an assistant coach for three seasons before being promoted to head coach in 2018.
Blair most recently served as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards, a role which he obtained in 2021. On January 17, 2022, Blair stepped in as head coach of the Wizards, in lieu of the absence of Wizards Head Coach Wes Unseld. He led the Wizards to a 117-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The victory marked his first victory as an NBA head coach.
In 2020 Blair joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as an assistant coach. Prior to that, he spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach for the 76ers. He spent two seasons (2013-15) as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, the University of Arizona.
Before his departure, Gonzalez served as the Equipment Manager and Travel Coordinator for the Vipers. During his tenure with the Vipers, he was part of the 2019 G League Championship team.
In 2022 the Valley native was hired as the Houston Dynamo 2 Equipment Manager. Gonzalez initially joined the Vipers as a basketball operations intern during the 2018-19 season.
Prior to the Vipers, Gonzalez was a player development coach at Carolina Basketball Academy. He also was a recruiting coordinator for Hoop Group Skills in 2018. In 2017-18, Gonzalez was a player development intern and post graduate assistant coach for Impact Basketball Academy. From 2013-2017 he served as the head student manager for the basketball team at the University of Texas-Pan American.
Gonzalez spent four years as the United Soccer League's RGV FC Assistant Equipment Manager and Travel Coordinator.
Joining last year's staff are newly hired Assistant Coach Kane Martinez, Strength and Conditioning Coach Dimitrios Jimmy Vidas and Basketball Operations staff member Noah Boling.
Martinez joins the Vipers after being the Sydney Kings Assistant Coach for the NBL 2023-2024 season. Prior to that, Martinez formed part of the Westchester Knicks as a Basketball Operations Associate during the 2022-23 season.
From 2021-22 Martinez was a Graduate Assistant for the Nevada Wolf Pack Men's Basketball team. His coaching career began during the 2019-20 season when he joined the Fort Lewis Skyhawks as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 campaign.
The New Mexico native played in 73 games for the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks from 2015-18. In 2014-2015 Martinez formed part of the University of Nebraska Kearney and was part of the Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters from 2013-14.
Vidas joins the Vipers after working in the Chinese Basketball Association from 2009-2020 with teams such as the Sichuan Chengdu Whales, Foshan Long Lions and the Qingdao DoubleStar Basketball Club. He also formed part of the 2020 Team China Men's Olympic Basketball Team.
In 1999 Vidas joined the Houston Rockets as the assistant strength and conditions coach, a role which he held until 2002.
The Vipers will open the 2024-25 season on Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m. CST against the Memphis Hustle at Bert Ogden Arena. To purchase tickets, visit www.rgvipers.com.
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