The Wheel for November 1, 2018

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Listen to Coach Bill Laimbeer – President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the Las Vegas Aces – Las Vegas Aces

The Wheel


Coach Bill Laimbeer – President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the Las Vegas Aces – Las Vegas Aces

Bill Laimbeer, a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time NBA Champion, was named the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Las Vegas Aces on December 8, 2017.

Defying all expectations, the Aces stayed in the playoff chase until the season’s last week, improving from 8 to 14 wins on the year. Laimbeer molded number one overall draft pick A’ja Wilson into the WNBA Rookie of the Year, and fifth-year guard Kayla McBride and second-year point guard Kelsey Plum enjoyed their best seasons as professionals.

Las Vegas expects to make a run at the playoffs next season, and for the foreseeable future, after winning the 2019 WNBA Draft Lottery, giving them the first pick in next year’s draft for an unprecedented third year in a row.

Prior to coming to Las Vegas, Laimbeer guided the New York Liberty to three straight 20-win seasons—the first time in franchise history the Liberty reached the 20-win plateau in three consecutive years.

Prior to joining the Liberty, Laimbeer spent eight seasons (2002-09) as general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock where he earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors in his first full season as head coach (2003). He took over a team that finished 9-23 the previous year and led them to a league-best 25 wins the following season. The 16-win improvement was the largest in WNBA history.

Laimbeer led the Shock to a 137-93 (.596) overall record, including six-straight playoff appearances as the squad won WNBA Championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

Prior to returning to the WNBA, Laimbeer spent two seasons as an assistant in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2009-2011).

A 14-year NBA veteran, Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star for the Detroit Pistons. As a member of the famed “Bad Boys,” Laimbeer totaled 13,790 points and 10,400 rebounds in his career, becoming only the 19th player in NBA history to eclipse 10,000 in both categories. A key member of back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990, he had his No. 40 jersey retired by the franchise in 1995.

Laimbeer played collegiately at Notre Dame from 1975-79.

Message From The President

One of Rotary International’s six areas of focus is to make high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children so they can live longer and grow stronger. It is estimated that 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented. Your donations to Rotary International provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics to mothers so that they have a better chance of keeping their children alive. Rotary International volunteers teach women how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breastfeed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.

The Rotary Clubs of Registro-Ouro and Registro partnered on a Rotary Foundation global grant with two clubs in Nakatsugawa, Japan. Through the partnership, Brazilian Rotarians raised $172,500 which was used to purchase equipment for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); doubling the hospital’s capacity to care for fragile newborns. The Rotary Club of Kharkiv Multinational in Ukraine sponsored Vacation 2017 Zakopane: Well-Being for Ukrainian Kids. The camp included traditional camp activities and support from mental health professionals to help children who witnessed the death of a family member cope with growing up in a war zone. The Sebastopol, California Sunrise Rotary Club sponsors telemedicine in Nigeria. Thanks to a global grant from The Rotary Foundation, a team of healthcare professionals from Nigeria has been trained in telemedicine and are treating needy patients in rural portions of the country that would otherwise not have any physicians. Through its numerous and varied projects, Rotary International helps to improve the lives of women and children around the world.

James A. Kohl

Member Highlights

Scribe – October 25, 2018

Las Vegas Rotary Club Meeting: October 25, 2018

President Jim Kohl called the meeting to order. PE Jackie Thornhill gave the invocation. Jaime Goldsmith led the club in singing our State Song, Home Means Nevada, followed by President Jim leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Sergeant at Arms was Doug Grant.

  • There were (1) International Rotarians, (11) visiting Rotarians and (3) Guests of Rotarians introduced.
  • President Jim encouraged members to share the live stream of our meeting on social media to share our message and our Club with others;
  • PE Jackie Thornhill presented updated Paul Harris Fellow pins to PP Brock Fraser +6, Steve Kwon +3, Paul Maffey +4 and Larry Rouse +1; PP Brock Fraser presented an initial Paul Harris Fellow to his ‘significant other’ Becky Miracle
  • Ted McAdam, together with Rosalee Hedrick, inducted new member Pedro Soso to the Club
  • Deb Granda reminded members the Halloween party is 10/26 at The Distillery, with auction items, including a basket of wine and a 4 hr rental of an exotic car, as well as other great items, costume contest, and great food, with all proceeds going to the canned food drive; Jaime Goldsmith reminded members the Wine2Water event at Total Wine is coming up November 15th ; Marie Walsh reminded members Breakfast With Books on 11/13 and a new project The Little Library to be placed at Beckley, thanking Randy Donald for the 2 ‘little houses’ where books will be an exchange (give one/take one); Beckley Vice Principal Cheryl Trupp announced the success of the Harvest Festival, raising $6500, and introduced a new school coach, Daniel, a former Ambassador, sponsored by a Rotary Club in India; Deb Granda reminded members the Holiday Party is 12/6 at Treasure Island; and PP Michael Gordon was fined, modestly admitting he was recognized with two awards in Achievement In Service at UNLV
  • The weekly drawing began at $3,364 plus this week’s donations. The Ticket Winner was John Ingeme, again, who received a prize of $10, and the Lawry’s Bucks Winner was Joan Murdock.
  • President Jim introduced our program speaker, Steve Schmitt, Sr. VP & CEO for Catholic Charities of So. Nevada. An amazing and informative video showed only some of the many ways Catholic Charities, without consideration of faith/religion, help the homeless and the less fortunate, from emergency shelters (day and night) providing a safe environment, food and showers, to the Hope Program, St. Vincent Apts, and Meals On Wheels. Mr. Schmitt explained there are more than 15 programs, including an Adoption program, and State Office of Immigration & Refugee program. He explained Clark Co. and the Las Vegas area have the largest homeless population per capita, currently calculating 6500 homeless, and that Catholic Charities is the largest non-profit of social services, where the budget is $28M, with half from private donors and the other half from federal/state/local grants and that $.96 of every dollar goes into services
  • President Jim presented our speaker with a “Share What You Can” award to benefit a veteran in need and then adjourned the meeting.


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