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Red's right Your Take: The Century's Best pro basketball coach
Posted: Monday June 21, 1999 10:57 AM
CNN/SI asked users to tell us who they think is the Century's Best pro basketball coach. Red Auerbach is definitely the greatest basketball coach of all time. What he did with the Celtics -- leading them to 11 titles in 13 years -- is incredible. And, he did it without a superhuman, unlike Phil Jackson. Red Auerbach's Celtics played solid fundamental basketball using teamwork and substance. -- Tom Hetam, Ishpeming Over the past two decades, Pat Riley has transformed the coaching profession into an artistry. Riley, who played and learned under the legendary Adolph Rupp, took over a vastly talented but fragmented Los Angeles Lakers team early in the 1981-82 season. He immediately refocused them as the organization went on to capture their second of five NBA championships in the 1980s. From then on, the Lakers turned mastery into unbeatable excellence. After coaching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, Riley signed with New York in '91 and led them to the seventh game of the '94 NBA Finals. In his third head coaching stint, he took a mediocre Miami Heat squad and turned them into title contenders. The winningest coach in playoff history has always been widely respected by each one of his players. They recognize that he has the distinct ability to draw the best effort out of them. Because he has all the attributes of a great coach, Riley is simply the best pro basketball coach of the century. -- Steve Larson, Plymouth, MN This one's a no-brainer. Phil Jackson led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in a manner where "we" was more important than "me." He focused on the fundamentals and taught players to accept their roles. His foundation for success was imbedded in teamwork, unity, humility and respect. He helped the game's greatest player, Michael Jordan, become even greater by teaching him to trust his not-as-talented teammates. He made the game fun for his players, challenged them to improve and kept the players' competitive fire from burning out from year to year. -- A.C. Mullins III, Elizabethtown, KY Phil Jackson was the best coast in the NBA. Jerry Sloan is the best coach in the NBA. Unfortunately his temper is what keeps him from being recognize as a superb coach by his peers and the media. Unlike Pat Reily, Jerry Sloan is consistent with his winning methods. -- E. Alston, New York Red Auerbach. After several years of mediocrity, he built the greatest dynasty (in any sport) of the century. And I don't even like the Celtics. Still, I can't think of anybody who did a better job. -- John Friesen, Abbotsford, BC, Canada Pat Riley is the best hands down only one season without a 1st place finish in his division. He has made the most of what he's had. He is a master motivator and great teacher. The only one to come close is Auerbach. Both coaches refuse to lose! -- Corey Abramson, Pittsburgh, PA It's a open and shut case! The hands down favorite to walk away as the greatest coach this century is Larry "The Legend" Bird. Just think about it, maybe he doesn't have a large number of wins, or any championships under his belt as a coach, but he took a team that was a group of aging veterans and led them by the collar all the way to the conference finals in his first two years of ever coaching any level of basketball. Larry Bird bleeds basketball and there has never been another player/coach at any level that has given to the game like Larry has. Anyone that doesn't see Larry Bird as the greatest all around influence on Basketball is out playing left field somewhere... -- Daniel Kidd, Hopewell, VA Phil Jackson's greatness as a coach lies in the fact that he is able to build a championship team around the greatest player in basketball history. We all know that Jordan's talent alone did not win the championships for the Bulls. It is the manner and the way by which that talent is shared and complemented. This is where Phil will get most of the credit. His philosophy, his coolness and his ability to motivate his players were the key factors in Bull's championship run. You might have noticed it, but during games, you rarely see Phil standing up and walking back and forth. He is as cool as you can get. That's why Jordan wouldn't want to play for any other coach than Phil. -- Led Guvi, Connecticut Pat Riley is the best coach of the century. With all of his accomplishments as a coach with the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat he has proven himself a winner wherever he goes. He has the ultimate respect of his players and every other player in the league. If you players in the league which coach they would love to play for they would all say Pat Riley. With his coaching mind and his ability to get the best out of his players he is great coach, not just for this time, but any time. -- Nick Mitchell, Charlotte, NC Dr. James Naismith gets my vote as he had to not only teach the game from it's infancy, but also develop and define the role of the head coach. Anyone else after the inventor has a baseline from which to draw -- the creator gets the credit! -- Al Barsch, Lanse, MI Red Auerbach, Just look at the championships. Don't discount his record because of Bill Russell always being there. If that's the case, throw out Riley, Jackson and others. Sure, guys like Riley may have more playoff wins, but there are more rounds of games each year. Red never had to beat a No. 8 seed. He has been surpassed in total victories and pct. too. But in a league with less teams, you couldn't pad a record with victories over the Clippers and Nets while waiting for a tough one every couple of weeks. The met their tough rivals like the Warriors and Knicks more than 4 or 5 times a year. -- Barry Jennings, Yorktown, VA The reason why I say Phil Jackson, currently of the Los Angeles Lakers is the best coach of the century, is because he coached the greatest player in sports entertainment. If you can win championships with a player who leads the league in scoring and incorporate his abilities and his teammates as well as deal with all the egos that the Bulls had, then you must be one amazing coach. Secondly, he was able to control Dennis Rodman while he was playing with the Bulls and that in itself is a tough task. His own philosophy toward basketball and team concept are what put him at the top of his sport and for a coach statistic wise to have the highest winning percentage of any coach in the playoffs, and win when it counts most, that's saying something about him as a motivator and how he prepares his players for the task. -- Arthur Horton III, Chicago, IL
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