Calvin Booth, Penn State hoops alum, in line for Denver Nuggets promotion: Report
The most prominent NBA veteran in Penn State basketball history is getting a promotion. According to a Monday report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Calvin Booth is moving into an even larger position with the Denver Nuggets.
“Sources: Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth is now expected to assume lead basketball operations role for the franchise. There is significant belief in Booth inside the organization, and the former NBA veteran is well-respected as a rising executive across league.”
The news comes on the heels of other movements within the organization Monday. As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Minnesota Timberwolves have hired Tim Connelly away from the Nuggets as their president of basketball operations for the same role with the T-Wolves.
Calvin Booth’s NBA climb
If Booth’s ascent is formalized by the Nuggets, it will continue a remarkable career in basketball for the former Nittany Lion standout center. At 6-foot-11, Booth helped lead Penn State to the 1996 NCAA Tournament and the 1998 NIT. His two games with 10 blocks apiece against Dayton and George Mason are still program records. So are his 428 career blocks. And, in 1998, Booth was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
After his run with the Nittany Lions ended in 1999, Booth went on to an NBA playing career. Selected 35th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft, Booth enjoyed a journeyman career spanning 10 seasons. Those stops included Washington twice, the Dallas Mavericks twice, Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Timberwolves. He retired with the Sacramento Kings in 2009.
It wouldn’t take long for Booth to take up a second career in NBA front offices, though.
Beginning as a scout with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2012, Booth moved on to the Timberwolves the next season. After four years there, Booth eventually became the franchise director of player personnel. He then landed with the Nuggets as their assistant general manager.
Working closely alongside Connelly, Booth became a fixture in the Nuggets’ front office. Eventually rising to General Manager in July 2020, Booth was praised by Connelly for his acumen.
“Calvin is one of the brightest basketball minds in our league,” said Connelly. “We are very fortunate to have him as part of our organization and are extremely excited for his new role.”
Next steps
As reported by Harrison Wind, the promotion of Booth was warranted by the organization’s internal assessment of his talent.
“There’s a ton of faith in Calvin Booth internally to lead the Nuggets. People within Denver’s front office rave about his ability to identify talent and willingness to take risks.”
Booth remains an important piece of Penn State’s past and, potentially, the program’s future.
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry and his staff are recruiting his son, Class of 2023 forward Carey Booth. The 6-foot-10 younger Booth has garnered interest from the likes of Minnesota, Stanford, and Georgetown in addition to Penn State. Texas Tech, Xavier, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Marquette, Iowa, and Oklahoma State have all offered as well.
