HOUSTON — In the NBA’s 77 years, this is just the third finals featuring two black head coaches. Let it marinate for a moment. It’s puzzling that although black players have dominated the sport, this hasn’t translated into similar success in coaching positions.
Jason Kidd (Dallas) and Joe Mazzulla (Boston) are about to add their names to a select list. They will follow in the footsteps of the 1975 NBA Finals clash between KC Jones (Washington) and Al Attles (Golden State), and the 2017 NBA Finals where Mike Brown (interim-Golden State) and Tyronn Lue (Cleveland) met. This is a rare occurrence that underscores the historical significance of the moment.
BLACK HEAD COACHES IN THE NBA FINALS
- 2024: Jason Kidd (Dallas) vs. Joe Mazzulla (Boston)
- 2017: Mike Brown (Golden State) vs. Tyronn Lue (Cleveland)
- 1975: Al Attles (Golden State) vs. K.C. Jones (Washington)
Golden State has won two NBA titles under black head coaches.
2024 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: JASON KIDD vs. JOE MAZZULLA
The Mavericks are on the verge of their second championship, needing just four wins. In 2011, they triumphed over the Miami Heat in the Finals. Jason Kidd, currently the head coach, served as Dallas’ point guard back then, while Dirk Nowitzki, playing as power forward, was crucial in their championship quest.
The Celtics are pursuing their 18th NBA title in the storied club’s history since their last championship in 2008. Another NBA Finals victory will eclipse the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA world championships.
On Thursday in Boston, Mazzulla will be on the bench for his second game. Last year, he helped head coach Ime Udoka in the NBA Finals. However, they lost the series 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.
1975 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: K.C JONES vs. AL ATTLES
Jones versus Attles was the “first championship game or series in any of the major U.S. professional sports leagues to feature two black head coaches or managers.” Also, if my memory recalls correctly, Attles – North Carolina A&T – is the first head coach from an HBCU to win an NBA title.
Attles bested Jones as the Warriors defeated the Bullets, 4-0, as Rick Barry won the 1975 NBA Finals MVP Trophy. The future Hall of Famers a part of the series were Jamaal Wilkes, Rick Barry, Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, K.C. Jones (player and coach), and Al Attles (coach).
2017 NBA FINALS BLACK HEAD COACHES: MIKE BROWN vs. TYRONN LUE
During the NBA Finals, a pivotal moment in the Warriors’ journey, Mike Brown stepped up as the interim head coach. With Steve Kerr sidelined due to severe back pain, Brown took charge and led the team to a perfect 12-0 record in the 2016-17 NBA playoffs. His strategic decisions and ability to rally the team were instrumental in their ultimate victory, winning the NBA championship in five games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A LOOK AT THE NBA’S BLACK HEAD COACHES
In 2022, there were some unexpected dismissals of black head coaches. For example, Milwaukee let go of their first-year head coach Adrian Griffin mid-season. Despite a strong performance with a 30-13 win-loss record, which placed them second in the Eastern Conference, Griffin was released after just 43 games.
Subsequently, the Buck hired Doc Rivers but failed to reach the conference finals. Cleveland terminated J.B. Bickerstaff after he won 99 regular-season games in his final two seasons. More puzzling is that Bickerstaff had 170 wins in five seasons and guided the Cavaliers to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The 2023 Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC), gave the NBA an A+ rating for its racial hiring practices with a score of 96.5. In the 2022-23 season, NBA officials recorded that 70.4% of the players were black and 82.5% were people of color. White players were 17.5% of the league that season. Also, only five black chief executive officers and presidents for NBA teams existed in 2022-23: Cynthia Marshall (Dallas), Fred Whitfield (Charlotte)), James Jones (Phoenix), Masai Ujiri (Toronto), and Koby Altman (Cleveland).
Hopefully, the trend of black coaches competing one-on-one for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy will continue. The two occurrences since the 1975 K.C. Jones-Al Attles meeting slightly suggest the NBA has a positive outlook for black head coaches and most men who look like them in the league.
