God Shammgod, renowned for his pivotal role in leading 10th-seeded Providence to the Elite Eight during the 1997 NCAA tournament and for pioneering “The Shammgod” crossover, is reportedly continuing his NBA coaching journey with the New Orleans Pelicans. Shammgod previously served as an assistant under Jamahl Mosley with the Orlando Magic during the 2025-26 season and is now set to join Mosley’s new staff in New Orleans, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Mosley’s tenure with the Magic concluded after the team squandered a 3-1 lead in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite this, he quickly secured a new opportunity to rebuild a franchise, taking on the head coach position with the Pelicans this week. During his first season at the helm in Orlando, the Magic secured only 22 victories. However, in his subsequent three seasons, the team achieved at least 41 wins annually, a streak not seen since Stan Van Gundy’s era from 2007-11, which included four consecutive seasons of 50-plus wins. Despite this improvement, Mosley’s Magic teams were unable to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Now, Mosley will have the chance to guide the Pelicans to deeper playoff runs, with Shammgod reportedly by his side once again. While Shammgod’s playing career in the NBA was brief, consisting of only 20 games for the Washington Wizards during the 1997-98 season, his influence on the sport is undeniable. He is highly respected for his exceptional ball-handling skills, and “The Shammgod” move has become a staple of basketball artistry, famously adopted by elite players such as future Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
Before joining Mosley’s Magic staff last summer, Shammgod spent nine years, from 2016-2025, as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks, where he not only refined players’ skills but also contributed as a defensive assistant. His coaching career commenced at his alma mater, Providence, where he served as a player development coach from 2012-2015. Shammgod is widely recognized for his masterful ball-handling, seamlessly blending his streetball roots with sound fundamental techniques, and is now steadily building a distinguished coaching resume within the NBA, with his latest reported role in New Orleans being a testament to his growing impact.
