Magic Johnson knows talent when he sees it, he is one of the most skilled players in NBA history and has briefly worked as Head Coach and an executive in the league.
NBA fans and media members love naming their Mount Rushmore for players, coaches, and even teams. The idea is to pick the four most outstanding in any category. But when Magic tried to do that with NBA Head Coaches, he couldn’t stick with the assignment.
“GSW Head Coach Steve Kerr is on my Mount Rushmore of NBA coaches with Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, and Greg Popovich.”
GSW Head Coach Steve Kerr is on my Mount Rushmore of NBA coaches with Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach and Greg Popovich.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 17, 2022
These coaches are undoubtedly among the greatest in NBA history, and all have a case to be included in any Mount Rushmore. Red Auerbach won nine NBA championships as the Boston Celtics’ Head Coach, and Phil Jackson has a whopping 11 with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. They are clearly at the top of the list.
Magic added Steve Kerr to the list after the Warriors won their fourth championship in eight seasons in 2022, but that is still one less than Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich, the other two names on this list. Popovich also has the distinction of being the winningest coach in NBA history to further make his case. Magic was likely caught in the moment because the Mount Rushmore of NBA Coaches seems to be pretty set in stone even without Steve Kerr.
Magic Johnson Called Pat Riley The Greatest Coach Ever
Magic Johnson was the engine behind the Showtime Lakers, but Pat Riley was the mastermind. The two won four NBA championships together, five if we count 1980 when Riley was an assistant coach with the Lakers. So it’s no surprise that Johnson is a bit biased towards him, calling him the greatest coach in history last year.
“And, we had the coach because Pat Riley is to me the best coach that’s ever lived, but he could make in-game adjustments that were critical and also he motivated you. So this man could take us and we could play against anybody and win.”
Magic Johnson himself had a terrible stint as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1994 and then never tried his hand at it again. The list of the greatest Head Coaches in the league’s history involves all the names he mentioned and a lot more, but it’s easy to understand why he had such a hard time naming just four.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
