This offseason was set to be a moved one for several NBA franchises. After plenty of years, cycles came to an end, with some teams looking to make changes on their coaching staff.
That’s why there were eight open spots to fulfill during the offseason. Teams did their job, and now we have new coaches in the league, all ready to make history with their respective franchises. These processes were curious, and some even created controversy around the league. Still, there’s nothing people can do to change that.
The only certain thing now is that we have six new black coaches in the league, taking six of their eight open spots.
The Atlanta Hawks gave the green light to Nate McMillan. He recorded a terrific season with the team, taking it to the ECF as the interim coach. After Brad Stevens took an executive role within the Celtics organization, he hired Ime Udoka as his replacement on the bench.
The New Orleans Pelicans hired Willie Green as Stan Van Gundy’s replacement, while the Orlando Magic acquired Jamahl Mosley’s services. The Portland Trail Blazers landed 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to lead a franchise hungry for titles. Last but not least, Wes Unseld Jr. is set to take over in Washington to coach Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and co. after Scott Brook’s tenure.
The only two non-black coaches who got jobs this offseason were Jason Kidd, who landed in Dallas, and Rick Carlisle. The latter left the Mavs to return to the Indiana Pacers.
As Marc J. Spears said, there will be 13 black coaches next season. This is great news for a league criticized for its “lack” of diversity in that matter.
With the pending hire of Wes Unseld, Jr., by the Washington Wizards as their new head coach, there will be 13 African-American head coaches amongst 30 NBA teams next season. Six of the seven NBA head coach openings this off-season went to black head coaches.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 16, 2021
Well, even LeBron James is happy to see this. The King reacted to all these hirings on Instagram.
This is a great time for the NBA. Some of these men will have better chances to compete for the championship next season. Still, all of them can build something important in their cities.
