Lester Habegger (November 13, 1924 – July 6, 2017) was the general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1983 to 1985. Before he joined the SuperSonics, Habegger became an assistant coach for the Seattle Pacific Falcons in 1956. As their coach from 1957 to 1974, Habegger and Seattle Pacific reached the quarterfinals of the 1965 NCAA College Division basketball tournament. Upon leaving his coaching position, Habegger had 272 wins and 176 losses.
Outside of the NCAA, Habegger began working in the NBA as an assistant coach for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1977.[12] While with Seattle, Habegger was selected to work for the Western Conference team at the 1980 NBA All-Star Game.[13] He was promoted to general manager of the SuperSonics in 1983 and remained as GM until 1985.[14] After his position of general manager ended, Habegger became the SuperSonics's Habegger director of player personnel in April 1985.[15] He remained with the SuperSonics until 1986 and joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach the following year.[16]
From 1987 to 1990, Habegger was a coach in Germany as part of the Basketball Bundesliga league.[17][18] Between 1988 and 1989, Habegger and Steiner Bayreuth won back to back German Basketball Cups.[19] In 1989, Habegger and Steiner won the BBL championship.[20]AtFIBA competitions, his team was fifth at the 1988–89 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup.[21] Before ending his position in 1990, Habegger could not coach Steiner due to his injured back.[22] That year, Habegger went to the Washington Huskies to become an assistant basketball coach.[23] During the mid-1990s, Habegger decided not to resume his basketball experience in Germany when Steiner asked him to become their coach again.[4]
^"Habegger to help UW". Kitsap Sun. Associated Press. July 13, 1990. p. C2.
^ ab"Les Habegger". Seattle Pacific University. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
^Ernstberger, Von Torsten (November 13, 2014). "Les Habegger: Eine Legende wird 90" [Les Habegger: A legend turns 90]. Kurier (in German). Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^"Die Besten Teams" [The Best Teams]. Basketball Bundesliga (in German). Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^Reisner, Von Dino (October 24, 2017). "88/89: Bayreuths beste Europapokal-Saison" [88/89: Bayreuth's best European Cup season]. Kurier (in German). Retrieved December 23, 2022.
^Ernstberger, Torsten (July 7, 2017). "Les Habegger ist tot" [Les Habegger is dead]. Kurier (in German). Retrieved December 23, 2022.