The NBA's Top 10 Greatest Coaches Ever

 

The NBA's Top 10 Greatest Coaches Ever

Certain NBA coaches have revolutionized the game, crafting innovative strategies to dominate the world's premier basketball league. From Phil Jackson's Zen-inspired leadership to Steve Kerr's dynamic three-point offense, here are the ten greatest coaches in NBA history!

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Pat Riley

Known for being the coach of the 'Showtime' Lakers in the 80s, Pat Riley won four NBA Championships with Magic Johnson and co. After a spell with the New York Knicks, Riley had a long and successful reign with Miami, winning another championship in 2006.

Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich recently revealed he was retiring from his job as San Antonio Spurs head coach after taking over the franchise in 1996. During that time, Popovich reigned over one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, winning five NBA Championships between 1999 and 2014.

Don Nelson

Don Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, winning 1,335 games and coaching four franchises over a 30-year career in the NBA.

Steve Kerr

Since taking over as the Golden State Warriors' head coach in 2014, Steve Kerr has created a dynasty in the Bay Area, securing four NBA titles in seven years with the trusty trio of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. He also led Team USA to the Olympic gold medal in 2024, coaching LeBron James, Curry, and Kevin Durant.

K.C Jones

After a winning career as a Boston Celtics player, K.C Jones became a prominent NBA coach over 20 years, securing another two NBA titles with the Celtics and winning 522 of 774 games in his NBA coaching career.

Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson is arguably the most dominant coach in NBA history, having a winning record every year as a head coach in the league.

Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, creating the greatest dynasty in NBA history, winning six titles in eight years. He then coached the Lakers over two stints, securing another five titles as a head coach.

Red Holzman

William 'Red' Holzman is best known for coaching the New York Knicks to their only two championship titles in 1970 and 1973.

Holzman spent 14 of his 18 years as an NBA coach with the Knicks, earning 1970 NBA Coach of the Year, a two-time NBA All-Star Game Coach, and having the number 613 jersey retired by New York.

Chuck Daly

Chuck Daly had an 18-year NBA head coaching career, beginning with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1981 and finishing with the Orlando Magic in 1999.

Daly is most notably known for coaching the 'Bad Boy' Detroit Pistons team that took down Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird on the way to winning two NBA titles. He was also the head coach of the USA Olympic 'Dream Team' in 1992.

Larry Brown

Larry Brown has one of the longest NBA coaching careers in the league's history, starting with the ABA team Carolina Cougars and finishing with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010.

Brown has 1,275-lifetime professional coaching wins and is the only coach in NBA history to lead eight different franchises to the NBA playoffs, winning once with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

Red Auerbach

Red Auerbach served as a head coach in the NBA, most notably with the Boston Celtics. He was also head coach of the Washington Capitols and Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

As the coach for the Celtics, Auerbach became the most successful coach in NBA history for one franchise, winning nine championships in ten seasons and leading his team to 938 wins over that time.