The Playing Careers of Current NBA Coaches
Submitted by podizz on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 11:24
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- (R)Don Nelson (Warriors)- Generally regarded as one of the best sixth men ever to play in the NBA, Nelson helped the Celtics to five championships ('66, '68, '69, '74, '76) In Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals against the Lakers, Nelson converted one of the most famous shots in playoff history, a foul-line jumper with just over a minute to go and the Celtics clinging to a one-point lead, which helped secure Boston's 11th NBA title in 13 seasons. A model of consistency, Nelson would average more than 10 points per game every season between 1968-69 and 1974-75. His #19 jersey was retired to the Boston Garden rafters in 1978. Points: 10,898, Rebounds: 5,192, Assists: 1,526.
- Paul Westphal (Kings)- Westphal was drafted by the Celtics, where he would win a ring in 1974. After being traded to the Suns, Westphal would achieve basketball immortality by playing a central role in the triple-OT game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals against the Celtics, commonly referred to as the greatest game ever played. He would go on to become a 5-time All-Star and 3 time all-NBA selection. Points: 12,809, Rebounds: 1,580, Assists: 3,591.
- (R)Jerry Sloan (Jazz)- After playing a single season with the Bullets, Sloan became the first player selected by the Bulls in the expansion draft, earning him the nickname "The Original Bull." Known for his tenacity on defense, he led the young team to the playoffs in its first season. Sloan would go on to play in two all-star games, and be named to the all-defensive first team four times and second team twice. Sloan's No. 4 jersey became the first jersey to be retired by the Bulls. Points: 10,571, Rebounds: 5,615, Assists: 1,925.
- Kurt Rambis (Timberwolves)- After a short stint playing ball in Greece, Rambis returned to the NBA, where he found enormous success with the Los Angeles Lakers. The bespeckled Rambis would go on to win 4 championships with the purple and gold, making a name for himself through hard work, persistant defense, and an impressive shooting percentage. Points: 4,603, Rebounds: 4,961, Assists: 931.
- Nate McMillan (Trail Blazers)- Known as "Mr. Sonic" for his 19 years of service to the team, McMillan was renowned for his defense. A two-time member of the all-defensive second team, McMillan was one-third of the famous Big Mac trio of in the late 80's and early 90's alongside Xavier McDaniel and Derrick McKey. His #10 jersey was recently retired by the Sonics, as if there was any concern that any future Sonics would be wearing his number, or any number at all for that matter. Points: 4,733, Rebounds: 3,222, Assists: 4,893.
- (R)Larry Brown (Bobcats)- Though small in stature, Brown quickly rose to the top of the ABA, appearing in its first all-star game and leading in assists in each of the league's first three seasons. Points: 4,229, Rebounds: 1,005, Assists: 2,509.
- Lionel Hollins (Grizzlies)- Drafted by the Trail Blazers with the sixth pick of the 1975 NBA Draft, Hollins was bestowed All-Rookie first team honors that season, averaging 10.8 points in 78 games. He was a member of Portland's 76-77 championship team, and made his only all-star game appearance that year. Hollins made the all-defensive team twice, and in 2007 had his #14 jersey retired.
- Mike D'Antoni (Knicks)- After 5 uneventful years in the NBA/ABA, D'Antoni relocated to Italy, where he became the all-time leading scorer of Olimpia Milano. He was voted the league’s top point guard of all time in 1990 and he paced his team to five Italian League titles, two Euroleague titles, two Cups of Italy, one Korac Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. Growing up in Italy during the height of D'Antoni's European career, Kobe Bryant idolized the future coach,even opting to wear D'Antoni's only jersey number (8) for the early part of his career. Points: 605, Rebounds: 262, Assists: 363.
- Doc Rivers (Celtics)- Doc spent the bulk of his career in Atlanta, where he quickly developed a repuation for his defensive ability. He appearing in an all-star game in '88, one year after averaging a double-double for the season alongside NBA great Dominique Wilkins. Points: 9,377, Rebounds: 2,625, Assists: 4,889.
- Vinny Del Negro (Clippers)- Selected 29th in the 1988 NBA Draft by Kings, Del Negro spent time playing in Italy before a 6-year stint with the Spurs. Points: 7,038, Rebounds: 1,810, Assists: 2,484.
- (R)Phil Jackson (Lakers)- The 12X NBA coaching champ played for the Knicks and Nets, making up for a lack of athleticism with hard work and intelligence to become a fan favorite. Points: 5,428, Rebounds: 3,454, Assists: 898.
- Scott Skiles (Bucks)- In his decade of NBA service, Skiles made a name for himself on the Orlando Magic, where in 1990, he set the single game record for assists with 30. He averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 assists per game that season, doubling his marks from the previous year en route to the NBA Most Improved Player Award. Points: 6,652, Rebounds: 1,526, Assists: 3,881.
- Scott Brooks (Thunder)- Brooks played ten seasons in the NBA, appearing with the Sixers, T-Wolves, Rockets (where he won a championship), Mavs, Knicks and Cavs. Points: 3,317, Rebounds: 685, Assists: 1,608.
- George Karl (Nuggets)- Points: 1,703, Rebounds: 369, Assists: 795.
- Rick Carlisle (Mavericks) Drafted with the 23rd pick in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft, Carlisle played alongside Larry Bird on the Celtics' 1986 NBA Championship team. Points: 422, Rebounds: 141, Assists: 201.
- Larry Drew (Hawks) Points 8,110 Rebounds 1,265 Assists 3,702
- Paul Silas (Bobcats) Points: 11,782, Rebounds: 12,357, Assists: 2,572
- Byron Scott (Cavaliers) Points 15,097 Assists 2,729 Steals 1,224
- Mark Jackson (Warriors) Points 12,489 Assists 10,334 Steals 1,608
- Kevin McHale (Rockets) Points 17,335 Rebounds 7,122 Blocks 1,689
- Monty Wiliams (Hornets) Points: 2,884
- Avery Johnson (Nets) Points 8,817 Rebounds 1,751 Assists 5,846
- Doug Collins (76ers) Points 7,427 Rebounds 1,339 Assists 1,368
- Tyrone Corbin (Jazz)
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