Lakers hire Kareem as a special assistant coach .

[Joe Vancil]

Kareem was once an assistant coach with the Clippers.  It didn't work out.

I think it's really tough for a superstar to be a coach.  Can anyone name a superstar who actually ended up being a good coach?  The closest thing I can come up with is Larry Bird, and many say that he was just a face, whereas Rick Carlisle did the heavy lifting for much of the actual coaching.  Or, perhaps, Lenny Wilkens would qualify.

The game simply comes too easily to superstars.  They tell a player, "Go out there, and do this, because it worked for me," and are frustrated when they find that the player can't do that, and it doesn't work for them.  It's those guys who had to struggle just to play the game who tend to get the most out of their players' abilities.  There are TONS of coaches who are/were pretty good as players, but never good enough to (for example) make an All-Star Game.

 

[guest-koast]

The game simply comes too easily to superstars.  They tell a player, "Go out there, and do this, because it worked for me," and are frustrated when they find that the player can't do that, and it doesn't work for them.  It's those guys who had to struggle just to play the game who tend to get the most out of their players' abilities.  There are TONS of coaches who are/were pretty good as players, but never good enough to (for example) make an All-Star Game.

Great point!  I knew we kept you around for a reason    

[rickortreat]

Wasn't Larry Brown an ABA all-star?  What about Bill Russel as a player-coach?  Billy Cunningham was an all-star and he coached an NBA champioinship team.

It's not their skills as players that made them good, but their understanding of the game, it's rythym and what wins games.

The best players aren't necessarilly the best coaches, but some of the best coaches were very good players.

Put it this way, I'm very happy that philly has a former all-star guard coaching their team now, rather than a doofus college coach who relied on a gimmicky defense.  

[Skandery]

Kareem was once an assistant coach with the Clippers. It didn't work out.

I think it's really tough for a superstar to be a coach. Can anyone name a superstar who actually ended up being a good coach? The closest thing I can come up with is Larry Bird, and many say that he was just a face, whereas Rick Carlisle did the heavy lifting for much of the actual coaching. Or, perhaps, Lenny Wilkens would qualify.

The game simply comes too easily to superstars. They tell a player, "Go out there, and do this, because it worked for me," and are frustrated when they find that the player can't do that, and it doesn't work for them. It's those guys who had to struggle just to play the game who tend to get the most out of their players' abilities. There are TONS of coaches who are/were pretty good as players, but never good enough to (for example) make an All-Star Game.

Are you ready for this Joe, here it comes.....doesn't happen often...<drum roll>...that is a great insight and I *agree*.

I can think of many bench warming scrubs (Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, George Karl) and also rans (K.C. Jones, Jerry Sloan, Rudy T.) that make darn good coaches but very few superstars come to mind.

And I remember the Clippers experiment they hired on Dennis Johnson and Kareem and boy it just didn't work, then again, this is the Clippers we're talking about.  

I think McHale showed in Minnesota that coaching isn't really his forte either.

     

[guest-koast]

Kareem was once an assistant coach with the Clippers. It didn't work out.

I think it's really tough for a superstar to be a coach. Can anyone name a superstar who actually ended up being a good coach? The closest thing I can come up with is Larry Bird, and many say that he was just a face, whereas Rick Carlisle did the heavy lifting for much of the actual coaching. Or, perhaps, Lenny Wilkens would qualify.

The game simply comes too easily to superstars. They tell a player, "Go out there, and do this, because it worked for me," and are frustrated when they find that the player can't do that, and it doesn't work for them. It's those guys who had to struggle just to play the game who tend to get the most out of their players' abilities. There are TONS of coaches who are/were pretty good as players, but never good enough to (for example) make an All-Star Game.

Are you ready for this Joe, here it comes.....doesn't happen often...<drum roll>...that is a great insight and I *agree*.

I can think of many bench warming scrubs (Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, George Karl) and also rans (K.C. Jones, Jerry Sloan, Rudy T.) that make darn good coaches but very few superstars come to mind.

And I remember the Clippers experiment they hired on Dennis Johnson and Kareem and boy it just didn't work, then again, this is the Clippers we're talking about.  

I think McHale showed in Minnesota that coaching isn't really his forte either.

I cant think of any superstar coaches who had success.  Do they even exist?

Dont say Bill Russell either because IMO he doesnt count because of how different the league was after the 60s/70s

[Joe Vancil]

Actually, Russell was simply a coach for the Sacramento Kings early after their move from Kansas City, I believe, and he didn't fare very well there.  Rudy T and Jerry Sloan are ex-All Stars who have been pretty good to great as coaches.  K.C. Jones is a Hall-Of-Famer, but not really that good of coach in my opinion.  And there's Lenny Wilkens.

But Magic, Isiah Thomas, and Dave Cowens were stars, but miserable failures as coaches.  

Bird is the biggest name who had success, but many folks credit Rick Carlisle - Bird's top assistant - with that team's success.

And Nate McMillan, Rick Carlisle, Don Nelson, Avery Johnson and Terry Porter, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson have been great coaches, yet all were pretty much just role-players at the NBA level.

 

[guest-koast]

Actually, Russell was simply a coach for the Sacramento Kings early after their move from Kansas City, I believe, and he didn't fare very well there.  Rudy T and Jerry Sloan are ex-All Stars who have been pretty good to great as coaches.  K.C. Jones is a Hall-Of-Famer, but not really that good of coach in my opinion.  And there's Lenny Wilkens.

But Magic, Isiah Thomas, and Dave Cowens were stars, but miserable failures as coaches.  

Bird is the biggest name who had success, but many folks credit Rick Carlisle - Bird's top assistant - with that team's success.

And Nate McMillan, Rick Carlisle, Don Nelson, Avery Johnson and Terry Porter, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson have been great coaches, yet all were pretty much just role-players at the NBA level.

Throw McHale into that list with Magic and them also.  He didnt do very well himself.

[Skandery]

Darn Joe, you screwed it up...

K.C. Jones is a Hall-Of-Famer

K.C. Jones was a great coach and to say he is a Hall-Of-Famer is misleading because nearly everyone who stuck around that 60s Celtics team for any length of time is a Hall-Of-Famer.  I know he had tenacious defense, but on that team he was just an also-ran.  

Rudy T and Jerry Sloan are ex-All Stars

I know Sloan's defense was awesome but I never knew he actually made the all-star team and I never knew Rudy T was an all-star, just a role-player.....hmmm.

But Magic, Isiah Thomas, and Dave Cowens were stars, but miserable failures as coaches.

I disagree with calling Isiah Thomas a miserable failure.  The guy had a great season ruined by injury and then was never given a chance EVEN after he'd been the instrumental person that got Jermaine O'Neal to sign with the team.

And Nate McMillan, Rick Carlisle, Don Nelson, Avery Johnson and Terry Porter, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson have been great coaches, yet all were pretty much just role-players at the NBA level.

I'm going to reserve judgement on Avery Johson, Nate McMillan, and Terry Porter.  Mac has had exactly one good year, Terry worked miracles out of messes, and Avery hasn't done anything of note, yet.  The future is bright (at least for Mac and Ave) but I'll have to wait and see.