Ernie Grunfeld is a former professional basketball player and executive who had a successful career in the sport. He was born in Romania in 1955 and moved to the United States with his family when he was nine years old. Grunfeld attended the University of Tennessee, where he played basketball and became one of the best players in the school's history.

After college, Grunfeld was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft. He played for the Bucks for five seasons and was known for his scoring ability and his tenacity on defense. In 1982, Grunfeld was traded to the Kansas City Kings, where he played for one season before being traded again to the New York Knicks.

Grunfeld played for the Knicks for four seasons and was a key player on the team that made it to the NBA Finals in 1994. He retired from playing in 1986 and began a career as a basketball executive. Grunfeld worked for the Knicks as an assistant coach and then as the team's general manager from 1991 to 1999.

In 1999, Grunfeld was hired as the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. He helped build a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, but he was fired in 2003 after the team struggled for two seasons. Grunfeld was then hired as the president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards.

Grunfeld worked for the Wizards for 16 seasons and was responsible for building a team that made it to the playoffs eight times. He was known for his ability to find talent in the draft and for making shrewd trades that helped the team improve. However, the Wizards struggled in recent years, and Grunfeld was fired in 2019.

Overall, Ernie Grunfeld had a successful career in basketball as both a player and an executive. He was known for his hard work, his basketball knowledge, and his ability to build winning teams. While his tenure with the Wizards ended on a sour note, Grunfeld will be remembered as one of the most successful basketball executives of his era.

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