More Than 40 Percent of NBA Coaches Are Black
The Lakers may have shown Mike Brown the door, but there are plenty of black coaches left in the NBA.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired Mike Brown as coach Friday after the team lost all of its preseason games and all but one of its opening regular season games under Brown. In years past the firing of a black coach might have rankled African Americans, as black coaches were anomalies in professional sports for much of the 20th century. In today’s NBA, though, there are plenty of black coaches to go around. As of Tuesday, 13 out of the NBA’s 30 coaches were African American:
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Doc Rivers: A former player for the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, among other NBA teams, Rivers has coached the Boston Celtics since 2004. He won his first NBA championship as coach in 2008.
Larry Drew: Coach of the Atlanta Hawks since 2010, Drew also played basketball for NBA teams including the Clippers and Detroit Pistons.
Dwane Casey: Casey has coached two NBA teams. From 2005 to 2007, he coached the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since 2011, he’s coached the Toronto Raptors.
Mark Jackson: Jackson, who also is part Dominican, played for a number of NBA teams, including the Knicks, Clippers and Indiana Pacers. He’s coached the Golden State Warriors since 2011.
Keith Smart: As a player, Smart played for leagues all over the world. He’s coached the Sacramento Kings since 2012. Before that he coached the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Byron Scott: This former Laker has coached the Cavaliers since 2010. Before that, he coached the New Orleans Hornets and the New Jersey Nets.
Lionel Hollins: This former Portland Trail Blazer has coached the Memphis Grizzlies since 2009, along with a brief coaching stint for the team in 2004.
Monty Williams: Coach of the News Orleans Hornets since 2010, Williams also played for the Knicks, 76ers and Spurs, among other teams.
Mike Woodson: A player for the Knicks from 1980 to 1981, Woodson has coached the team since 2012.
Jacque Vaughn: A player for the Orlando Magic from 2002 to 2003, Vaughn has coached the team since 2012.
Alvin Gentry: Coach of the Phoenix Suns, Gentry has also led the Miami Heat, Pistons and Clippers.
Tyrone Corbin: A player for the Utah Jazz from 1991 to 1994, Corbin has coached the team since 2011.
Avery Johnson: A former NBA player, Johnson has coached the Nets since 2010. He coached the Mavericks before that.
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