Daily Archives: May 16, 2012
Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich and the Greatest Coaches in NBA History
Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, Two of the Greatest Coaches in NBA History
Forbes has busted out with another fiscal list of theirs, this time it’s the highest paid coaches in American sports.
So I’m flipping through this top ten, and there he is, Gregg Popovich, the sixth highest paid coach.
He’s also one of the greatest coaches in basketball history.
The under-the-national-radar Popovich has four rings and is looking for his fifth this postseason. He’s third all time in winning percentage, too. That’s all for real and all with one team: the San Antonio Spurs.
Phil Jackson, of course, reigns supreme, not just in rings (11), but also percentage.
Here are the top 20 coaches with the highest winning percentage in NBA history (based on a fair minimum of 500 games coached).
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| COACH | YRS | W | L | W-L PCT | TEAM(S) | |
| 1. | Phil Jackson | 20 | 1155 | 485 | .704 | Chicago Bulls (89-90 thru 97-98) |
| L.A. Lakers (99-00 thru 10-11) | ||||||
| 2. | Billy Cunningham | 8 | 454 | 196 | .698 | Philadelphia 76ers (77-78 thru 84-85) |
| 3. | Gregg Popovich | 16 | 847 | 399 | .680 | San Antonio Spurs (96-97 thru Current) |
| 4. | K.C. Jones | 10 | 522 | 252 | .674 | Capital/Washington Bullets (73-74 thru 75-76) |
| Boston Celtics (83-84 thru 87-88) | ||||||
| Seattle SuperSonics (90-91 thru 91-92) | ||||||
| 5. | Red Auerbach | 20 | 938 | 479 | .662 | Washington Capitols (46-47 thru 48-49) |
| Tri-Cities Blackhawks (49-50) | ||||||
| Boston Celtics (50-51 thru 65-66) | ||||||
| 6. | Stan Van Gundy | 8 | 371 | 208 | .641 | Miami Heat (03-04 thru 05-06) |
| Orlando Magic (07-08 thru 11-12) | ||||||
| 7. | Pat Riley | 24 | 1210 | 694 | .636 | L.A. Lakers (81-82 thru 89-90) |
| N.Y. Knicks (91-92 thru 94-95) | ||||||
| Miami Heat (95-96 thru 07-08) | ||||||
| 8. | Tom Heinsohn | 9 | 427 | 263 | .619 | Boston Celtics (69-70 thru 77-78) |
| 9. | Jerry Sloan | 26 | 1221 | 803 | .603 | Chicago Bulls (79-80 thru 81-82) |
| Utah Jazz (88-89 thru 10-11) | ||||||
| 10. | Rick Adelman | 21 | 971 | 656 | .597 | Portland Trail Blazers (88-89 thru 93-94) |
| Golden State Warriors (95-96 thru 96-97) | ||||||
| Sacramento Kings (98-99 thru 05-06) | ||||||
| Houston Rockets (07-08 thru 10-11) | ||||||
| Minnesota Timberwolves (Current) | ||||||
| 11. | Rick Carlisle | 10 | 479 | 325 | .596 | Detroit Pistons (01-02 thru 02-03) |
| Indiana Pacers (03-04 thru 06-07) | ||||||
| Dallas Mavericks (08-09 thru Current) | ||||||
| 12. | George Karl | 24 | 1074 | 731 | .595 | Cleveland Cavaliers (84-85 thru 85-86) |
| Golden State Warriors (86-87 thru 87-88) | ||||||
| Seattle SuperSonics (91-92 thru 97-98) | ||||||
| Milwaukee Bucks (98-99 thru 02-03) | ||||||
| Denver Nuggets (04-05 thru Current) | ||||||
| 13. | Chuck Daly | 14 | 638 | 437 | .593 | Cleveland Cavaliers (81-82) |
| Detroit Pistons (83-84 thru 91-92) | ||||||
| New Jersey Nets (92-93 thru 93-94) | ||||||
| Orlando Magic (97-98 thru 98-99) | ||||||
| 14. | Larry Costello | 10 | 430 | 300 | .589 | Milwaukee Bucks (68-69 thru 76-77) |
| Chicago Bulls (78-79) | ||||||
| 15. | John Kundla | 11 | 423 | 302 | .583 | Minneapolis Lakers (48-49 thru 58-59) |
| 16. | Bill Sharman | 7 | 333 | 240 | .581 | San Francisco Warriors (66-67 thru 67-68) |
| L.A. Lakers (71-72 thru 75-76) | ||||||
| 17. | Al Cervi | 9 | 326 | 241 | .575 | Syracuse Nationals (49-50 thru 56-57) |
| Philadelphia Warriors (58-59) | ||||||
| 17. | Jeff Van Gundy | 11 | 430 | 318 | .575 | N.Y. Knicks (95-96 thru 01-02) |
| Houston Rockets (03-04 thru 06-07) | ||||||
| 19. | Joe Lapchick | 9 | 326 | 247 | .569 | N.Y. Knicks (47-48 thru 55-56) |
| 20. | Fred Schaus | 7 | 315 | 245 | .563 | L.A. Lakers (60-61 thru 66-67) |
Photo: thetruthsports.com / thatnbalotterypick.com
