Advertisement - scroll for more content
Law Murray: The last six times a team changed coaches after a Conference Finals appearance - 2022 Celtics (Ime Udoka*) - 2014 Grizzlies (Lionel Hollins) - 2008 Pistons (Flip Saunders) - 2005 Pistons (Larry Brown) - 2004 Lakers (Phil Jackson) - 2003 Pistons (Rick Carlisle) *unplanned lol
Brad Townsend: Rick Carlisle (Mavericks, Pacers) joins a select group of coaches to take 2 franchises to The Finals. Others include: Alex Hannum (Celtics, Lakers) Red Auebach (Capitols, Celtics) Phil Jackson (Bulls, Lakers) Pat Riley (Lakers, Knicks, Heat) Larry Brown (Sixers, Pistons)
LeBron James has faced off with Gregg Popovich’s Spurs in the NBA Finals three times and also played under him in the 2004 Olympics when the latter was an assistant coach under Larry Brown. And in the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, LeBron showered Popovich with praise as a coach and a person: “There’s no way we even start this conversation without talking about Pop and what he means for the game and obviously for the NBA, San Antonio, West Point, all the stops that he had. To be able to cross paths, we’ve crossed paths with Coach Pop so many times and I had one opportunity to actually play for him in the Olympics in 2004. And obviously going against him three times in the NBA Finals. I mean, what can you say. You talk about the superlatives when it comes to Coach Pop, his list is out of this world. But I think what a lot of people have found out if you ever got an opportunity to encounter a one-on-one with him or even just in cross, how great of a f—ing guy that guy is. And it makes sense with how unbelievable of a coach he was because of the person he was.”
James would continue on, reflecting on his time with Popovich at the Olympics in 2004 and the overall admiration he has for the legendary coach: “It was just the admiration. For me, I was just an 18-year-old kid and I got an opportunity to see it when they won a championship in ’99 and then when they won it again I believe in 2003. So I already had admiration for Pop and his San Antonio teams. I was on the team, I was a young guy alongside Carmelo Anthony, we were young guys, Dwyane Wade, we were super young and to be a part of that team, obviously we didn’t succeed like we wanted to succeed. But to be on a team with like Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan and Coach Pop, Larry Brown, that was just like another welcome to what greatness is all about. To see what Coach Pop has left this game as far as controlling the sidelines for as long as he did and the amount of wins that you just mentioned, the amount of championships, great players that he’s seen come through the San Antonio franchise. It’s just been a complete honor and for me to have a real personal relationship with him that every time I see him, it’s just so much respect and so much honor. He definitely will be missed… Obviously we know health is most important, but we cannot shy away from the fact of what he was able to accomplish on the sidelines.”
After joining the Spurs in the summer of 1988, as an assistant coach on Larry Brown’s staff, Popovich has enjoyed a 37-year career in the NBA as a coach and executive. He spent two seasons, from 1992-94, as an assistant coach for Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. His other 35 NBA seasons have all been in San Antonio with the Spurs. “Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”
Advertisement
It was the 100th career playoff coaching victory for Kerr, who moved into a tie with Larry Brown for sixth-most playoff wins. “I’m lucky to coach the guys that I do,” Kerr said. “Players win games. It’s our job to try to help them along a little bit here and there.”
George Lynch: Larry Brown was teaching and he was stoppong every play, every play, and AI hated it. He was like ‘just let us play, let us go’. He can play but we can't just play, that was the frustrating part to AI. He would stay in the gym for six hours and hoop if you just let him play, but coach Brown was like ‘stop, we gotta do this, George you messed up this, whatever’. He was he's one of those ones that he you let him do what he need to do, but you know on game day he gonna give you everything. And he was going to play 82 games.
Carlos Arroyo: When I was a rookie, Bonzi Wells told me I had Salsa in my game
Carlos Arroyo: My first year was in Toronto. I was playing garbage time against Bonzi Wells. I was at half-court, we were shooting a free throw. I had some runs you know, some assists between the legs, I had some look away passes, and something like that. He got closer to me and he asked ‘Hey young fella, where are you from?’ And I said Puerto Rico and he replied ‘Hey you got that Salsa in your game’ [laughs]. I guess I played with that kind of rhythm. I loved passing the ball, I enjoyed like the look-away pass (…) I remember when I got to the Detroit, Larry Brown was trying to you know kind of like take that away from my game. He was like ‘Make the solid play’, make the hockey assist. I learned the hockey assist when I was here in Miami with coach Ron Rothstein.
Advertisement
Amare Stoudemire on Larry Brown at the 2004 Olympics: I just, I just didn’t understand the coaching philosophy. I didn’t understand what was going on because you had players like myself, Carmelo, D-Wade, and LeBron on the bench.
The move, obviously, paid off. Popovich has more wins than anyone in NBA history. And, when counting moves involving interim coaches, the next coaching change in the league will be the 300th since Popovich began coaching the Spurs. There have been 183 different coaches in the league since Popovich started, not including himself. Of those, 78 have coached multiple franchises in that span — Alvin Gentry, Larry Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Doc Rivers have coached in five different places over those years, and another nine coaches having worked for four different franchises in that time. “You’re always striving to be the best that you can be,” said New Orleans coach Willie Green, who is entering Year 4 with the Pelicans and has been in his job longer than half the other coaches in the league have had their current gigs. “But you take these jobs, understanding that they don’t have a long shelf life.”
Vernon Maxwell: "Allen said he was getting tired of this Coach Brown getting rid of everybody that he liked on the team because. 'He wants me to slow the fuck down, and these guys can't tell me what the fuck to do. I'm going to do what Allen Iverson wants to do.' He's always done that his whole goddamn life and his whole career. So, I mean, I got set up for failure after that.
“I was interested in Denver then because of Larry Brown, Doug Moe and Carl Scheer,’’ Thompson said. “I knew all those guys from when they were with the Carolina Cougars. I liked Larry. He had a good personality. I was like a hippie back then, and he would tease me about wearing bell bottoms and clogs and stuff. So, I was acquainted with those guys and their style of play. And then, of course, they also had Bobby Jones.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement