Korean-American Jonathan Yim’s first recollection of basketball was his dad telling his family "if the Bulls won, then we would go get ice cream".
"My dad was born in Chicago and my family were massive Chicago Bulls fans growing up," he said.
The Michael Jordan fan and ex-basketballer credits his mum and sister for instilling "values of hard work and humility" in him and his dad for teaching him "how to give back".
The 40-year-old Los Angeles-born, Irskine-raised basketballer will arrive in Waihōpai with his wife Amanda in the new year, ready to help the Sharks get back their bite.
"I see a lot of potential to create a winning culture while developing the players who can be both excellent on and off the court.
"When I did my research, the Sharks have had a history of resilience and competitiveness, and they’ve had a history of winning as well.
"Just to be part of the team and community that has such a strong sense of pride and passion for basketball, I think that’s something that really opened my eyes about the Sharks," Yim said.
He brings 13 years’ coaching experience across the NBA and G League to his Southland Sharks head coach position including as assistant coach to Terry Stotts at the Portland Trailblazers.
He has also worked with the Clippers, Lakers and Hornets organisations.
He believed he would turn things around for the Sharks by being a coach who kept his players "accountable and helps them achieve their goals and dreams".
"My high school basketball coach used to always tell me that when you do things the right way, the wins and losses take care of themselves."
Yim looks forward to tucking into the Southland cheese roll and tasting Bluff oysters.
"Being able to make a meaningful impact, not just for the team, but also just for the community in Southland, that’s another thing that I really, really like."
