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From Kansas City, Kansas, basketball legend to NBA coach and champion

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Kris Weems was named Mr. Kansas Basketball, an honor that recognizes the best high school basketball player in the state of Kansas
Carlos Moreno
/
KCUR 89.3
Kris Weems was named Mr. Kansas Basketball in 1995, an honor that recognizes the best high school basketball player in the state.

Golden State Warriors player development coach Kris Weems is proud of his Kansas City, Kansas, roots.

Kris Weems was a star at F.L. Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas, winning two state basketball championships in 1993 and 1995. In 1995, Weems was named Mr. Kansas, an honor he says was always a dream.

These days, he has a different title: NBA champion. Weems is the player development coach for the Golden State Warriors, a franchise that won this year's NBA championship. In recent years, the Warriors have become the gold standard of pro basketball.

Weems also served as Warriors player development coach under Mark Jackson from 2011–2013. He returned last year to work under head coach Steve Kerr, which led him to his first NBA championship.

Weems credits a lot of his success to his upbringing.

"Sometimes I just look back at things that I've been able to do and accomplish, and it makes me remember the people who were with me along the way, from my mom and dad to my brother and my coaches," Weems said.

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