THE DENVER NUGGETS - AN UPDATE AND LOOKING FORWARD
Former Nugget player and Coach, Mark Randall currently serves as a Community Ambassador for the Nuggets organization and has held this role since 2003. He oversees the Ambassador program which includes former Denver Nugget players Ervin Johnson and Walter Davis. In this role, Randall is responsible for working with children to promote sportsmanship, teamwork and basketball. Included in his job responsibilities are public speaking, support of philanthropic organizations/causes and on occasion, serves as emcee at charitable functions throughout the state
Following his retirement in 1999, he served as college scout with the Nuggets for 2 ½ years before becoming an Assistant/ Player Development Coach under Jeff Bzdelik for the ‘02-’03 season
Randall played in the NBA from 1991-99. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (No. 26 overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft. From 1991-93, he played for Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit. In 1993, he joined the Nuggets after being called up from the CBA’s Rapid City Thrillers. He was released by the Nuggets prior to the ’94-95 season, but rejoined them once again from the CBA’s Thrillers midway through the season. That year, he played in two postseason games as the eighth-seeded Nuggets upset Seattle in the first round and took Utah to seven games in the second round. He played in the CBA in ’96-97 and made the Nuggets roster following the lockout in 1999, but was waived two weeks into the start of the abbreviated season. For his NBA career, Randall averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.3 rpg.
The Bloomington, Minn. native enjoyed a storied career at the University of Kansas. He captained the 1991 Jayhawks squad that lost to Duke in the NCAA Championship game and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Following the ’89-’90 season, he was named an NABC All-American. He redshirted his sophomore year, during which Kansas defeated Oklahoma to win the NCAA Championship, in order to return to Denver for corrective jaw surgery. Randall finished his career as the 6th all-time leading scorer and 6th all-time leading rebounder in KU history and the all-time leader in field goal percentage in both Kansas University and Big 8 history. You could also find Mark on the cover of the April 1, 1991 copy of Sports Illustrated.
Mark also enjoyed a very extensive association with USA Basketball throughout his H.S./College playing days. The first event, in which Randall represented USA Basketball, was the US Olympic Festival in Houston, TX, where he competed for the North squad. He then competed in the Big 8 tour of China in the summer of 1987 and the team finished just outside of medal contention. In the summer of 1989, he went on to capture the Gold Medal in the World University Games, under Head Coach Gene Keady in Germany. His world travels continued in the summer of 1990, where Randall was a starter for the last USA Men’s Basketball Team to compete in The World Championships as amateurs. The team went on to capture the Bronze Medal in Buenos Ares, Argentina under the guidance of Mike Krzyzewski. That same World Championship team competed a month earlier at the Goodwill Games in Seattle and wound up taking home the Silver Medal. Later, Randall would serve on USA Basketball’s Collegiate Committee where his responsibilities included helping choose the teams that represented the USA for international competitions throughout the years of 1994-2002.
A 1986 graduate of Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo., Randall earned both McDonald’s and Parade All-American honors as a prep standout. He is a competitive golfer with a 3 handicap, and played in the Colorado Open in 2002.