Orlando, you better remember this name. You’re going to hear a lot of it. God Shammgod has found a job in the NBA for the third time. After six seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, the former NBA player-turned-coach is now the new assistant coach of the Orlando Magic. It’s some journey Shammgod has been on; from a washed-out NBA player to a promising player development coach and now an assistant coach. Irrespective of his career trajectory, his name always got a few double-takes. And it always raises that curious thought, if he really is named God.
Legally, yes, and if you ask the man himself, God Shammgod is his real name. He was originally named after his father, God Shammgod Sr. Growing up in New York, young Shammgod was teased over his name, and he repeatedly responded that it was his father’s name. His father was mostly absent from his life. So after moving from Brooklyn to Harlem, he took his mother’s maiden name and went by Shammgod Wells.
With skills developed in the famed Rucker Park and under Celtics legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Wells found his signature dribbling technique. He’d play alongside Ron Artest, aka Metta World Peace, and even tutor a young Kobe Bryant. His technique made Shammgod Wells famous in the youth circuit and earned him D1 offers.
Wells chose Providence College. But upon arrival at the campus, he ran into some administrative difficulty. He was not Shammgod Wells on paper, and it would cost him $600 to legally change it. With a lack of funds, Wells was back to God Shammgod. That name would remain unforgettable for the mark it made on the NBA.
The move that made Shammgod ‘God’
In the NCAA, you’d hear that name before you saw the game. God Shammgod’s ball-handling and passing skills made him befitting of the name ‘God.’ He wasn’t a scorer but still led the team to the Elite Eight in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
Very nice delivery of the ‘Shammgod’ move in a game setting. Executed by…God Shammgod.
Later to be emulated by many great NBA guards such as Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Manu Ginóbili, John Wall, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, etc. pic.twitter.com/r7T3o3pXKM
— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 (@CypressAlou) May 30, 2021
It was against the Arizona Wildcats, led by Mike Bibby (now the Sacramento State head coach), that the world saw the move that would forever be known as the “Shammgod.” He approached Michael Dickerson at the arc, tossed the ball in front of him with his right hand, only to quickly snatch it with his left hand. Dickerson was flustered enough to look the wrong way and give Shammgod the chance to drive up to the basket. He missed the shot, but his teammate got the rebound.
Announcers didn’t notice his dribble trick at first. When they went back to film and analyse it, they saw history being made. God and his Friars were eliminated by the Wildcats that game, but the point guard became memorable. Over the next few months, the ‘Shammgod’ dribble became the biggest thing in streetball.
It, however, gave him misplaced confidence to go in the NBA draft early. With a 1997 draft class loaded with the likes of Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan, God’s stock dropped to the second round. The Wizards picked him 46th overall, which would translate to a much lower contract. His streetball style didn’t adapt to the NBA’s rigidity and fundamentals. He admitted his attitude didn’t help either. The Wizards didn’t extend his contract, and at 21, no NBA team wanted this God.
God Shammgod instead found his calling overseas, playing in China, the Middle East, Poland, and even in the CBA in the US. After hanging up his boots in 2010, he returned to Providence as a coach. Years later, then-Mavericks owner Mark Cuban sought God Shammgod to teach the team some handles. And just like that, in 2019, God Shammgod was back in the NBA as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks.
It didn’t matter that he’s only played 20 games in the NBA. His name and signature earned him his own cult among athletes, merchandise, and a signature sneaker under Puma. The Shammgod would become a league-wide emulated move through Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Manu Ginóbili, John Wall, Donovan Mitchell, and coaching from ‘the creator’ himself.
Next stop, Orlando. And maybe, Head Coach God one day.
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