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The Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ new G-League affiliate, announced Jarell Christian as their team’s first head coach and Pops Mensah-Bonsu as their first general manager.
Christian played basketball at Emory and Henry College in Virginia and also broke through the coaching ranks working on current Wizards head coach Scott Brooks while with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Christian spent the past four seasons as an assistant on The Thunder’s G-League affiliate. Meanwhile Mensah-Bonsu starred at George Washington, averaging 11.7 points and six rebounds in four years with the Colonials. Mensah-Bonsu played professionally for 10 years, including four seasons in the NBA. He spent 2013 training camp with the Wizards before being waived after four preseason games. He recently worked with the San Antonio Spurs as a scout after receiving a two-year ban for doping.
“I am proud to represent the Wizards and the D.C. community, especially Ward 8, as we head into our inaugural season,” Christian said in a press release. “The organization has expressed their confidence in me to lead these young men at such an influential time in their careers and I am excited about doing so as a part of such a close-knit community. My family and I look forward to meeting the individuals that make D.C. such a special place.”
The Go-Go will play their inaugural season this fall, playing home games at the new sports arena on the site of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Southeast D.C. The Mystics will also play their home games at the facility that is expected to house a capacity of 4,200. The complex will include the Wizards’ practice facility, the MedStar Wizards Performance Center,
“I am humbled to be entrusted with this position and would like to thank the Wizards organization for the opportunity,” Mensah-Bonsu in a statement. “Washington is my second home and the city has embraced me ever since I stepped on the George Washington campus. I am excited to be able to give back by making sure that the Go-Go is a pillar in the community and a team that the city can get behind.”
The new head coach and general manager will prepare for the upcoming G-League Expansion Draft that will reportedly happen on Aug. 22.
