The NBA is a results-oriented business, like most major sports leagues.
NBA teams are rarely patient with their coaches and projects, often firing them after one or two bad seasons, regardless of whatever happened in the past.
That’s why former NBA coach George Karl urged teams to finally start realizing how big of a deal it is to have a strong-minded coach and give their projects a sense of continuity, citing Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, and Mike Malone as examples of that.
One of my big hopes from this postseason is that sanity and order will return and organizations will start to value again what good coaches with a strong voice and consistency bring to their teams!
Coach Spo, Kerr, Pop and now Malone are examples of that! pic.twitter.com/6VrjXdJCAh
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) May 31, 2023
Notably, one could argue that the Denver Nuggets had more than enough chances and reasons to part ways with Mike Malone in the past, granted they had acted like most organizations.
Malone and the Nuggets often dominated in the regular season and then struggled in the playoffs, mostly because of injuries.
The team stood by his side and gave him the pieces they needed to thrive, and now they’re in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Likewise, Pat Riley decided to hold on to Spoelstra through thick and thin, even infamously telling LeBron James never to go to his office and ask for a coach to be fired.
Coach Spo has now made it to the NBA Finals six times since he took the reins of the team, including two Finals without Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James.
Championship contenders aren’t built overnight, and coaches and teams need time to work and find their best shape, and it’s time franchises start realizing that.
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