Percy “Master P” Miller has always been a person who believes in pursuing his dreams. In the early 90’s he dreamed about making an impact in the music industry. He was able to turn that dream into a $300 million reality. As his music label sold millions of records, Master P was eyeing another dream on his checklist. In 1998 he played in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets during the pre-season. He played well, but unfortunately, he was the final roster cut. The following season Master P joined the Toronto Raptors. Once again, P didn’t make it past the pre-season. Decades later, Master P has another chance to achieve his NBA dreams.
The New Orleans Pelicans franchise made their NBA debut in 2002. During the course of 19 seasons, the Pelicans made it to the playoffs seven times. A glimmer of hope came in 2019 when the Pelicans secured the number one pick in the NBA Draft. They used the pick to select Duke’s All-American forward, Zion Williamson. During his first two seasons, the Pelicans have failed to produce a winning record. Williamson and his family expressed their frustration with the losing, and Stan Van Gundy’s coaching style.
When the New Orleans Pelicans organization decided to part ways with Coach Van Gundy on June 16th, it left a void in the leadership position. Master P feels he’s the person to fill the coaching vacancy. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, P always had a passion for the sport of basketball. Following a stellar high school career, P attended the University of Houston. Unfortunately, P suffered an ACL injury which ended his collegiate career. After two failed attempts to make it to the NBA as a player, Percy “Master P” Miller may have a chance to coach his hometown team. He’s a proven leader, but he lacks NBA coaching experience. Despite the fact that he has an unseasoned resume, Master P is confident in turning the Pelicans into winners. “I think it’s time. They gotta do something different, unique. I’m not an X and O coach, but I understand people management. If they bring me in as a head coach or assistant coach, I think I can change the game.”
In the wake of Master P initially sharing his desire to coach the Pelicans, the general public tried to figure out if it was just talk, or if he was going to make a serious push to fill the coaching position? He would provide the answer five days later when he hired Roc Nation Sports’ Raymond Brothers to represent him in his quest to become the New Orleans Pelicans’ next head coach. “Right now I just hired a sports agent. One of the best in the world. He’s the President of Basketball for Roc Nation. He’s a good friend of mine and he knows what he’s doing.” P is confident in his ability to help the players reach their full potential.
He’s a veteran at managing people but a rookie regarding the X’s and O’s of the game. Master P is fully aware of the X’s and O’s not being his strong suit. He already has a guy lined up to help him with those fundamentals. “I talked to John Lucas, and he’s to support me and come with me on this journey. So, I will have John Lucas that knows the X’s and O’s, on the staff with me to make this happen. So, I got all the pieces to the puzzle.”
