How Many Black NBA Coaches Are There?
Contents
As of 2019, there are only four black head coaches in the NBA. This number is down from seven in 2018 and is the lowest it has been since 2014.
The current number of black NBA head coaches
The current number of black NBA head coaches is six. This is down from a high of eight in 2014, but up from four in 2013. Of the 30 NBA teams, 22 have white head coaches and six have black head coaches. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings all have black head coaches.
A look at the history of black coaches in the NBA
The NBA has a long history of black coaches. The first black head coach in the NBA was Bill Russell, who was hired by the Boston Celtics in 1966. He went on to have a successful career as a player and a coach, winning 11 championships as a head coach. Other notable black coaches in the NBA include Lenny Wilkens, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Dwyane Wade.
In recent years, the number of black head coaches in the NBA has declined. As of the 2019-2020 season, there are only four black head coaches in the NBA: Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers), Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns), Lloyd Pierce (Atlanta Hawks), and Dwane Casey (Detroit Pistons). This is down from eight black head coaches in the 2016-2017 season.
There are several possible explanations for this decline. One is that many of the most successful black coaches in recent years, such as Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, have retired or moved into management positions. Another is that the pool of qualified black candidates for coaching positions has shrunk due to a lack of opportunities at lower levels of basketball. Finally, it’s possible that racism is still a factor in hiring decisions made by NBA team owners.
Whatever the reasons for the decline, it’s clear that black coaches are still underrepresented in the NBA compared to their white counterparts.
The challenges faced by black coaches in the NBA
Despite the success of black coaches in the NBA, they still face many challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of opportunities. In the past few years, there have been a number of high-profile coaching vacancies, but few have been filled by black coaches. Another challenge is the way that black coaches are often viewed by owners and general managers. They are often seen as less qualified than their white counterparts, and they are often given shorter leash when it comes to winning games.
The future of black coaches in the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has long been considered a progressive sports league. In 1947, the NBA integrated earlier than any other professional sports league in the United States. However, despite the league’s progressive history, the number of black head coaches has been in decline in recent years. At the start of the 2017-2018 season, there were only eight black head coaches out of a total of 30 teams. This is down from a high of 13 black head coaches in 2010.
Some have attributed this decline to a lack of opportunities for black assistant coaches to be promoted to head coaching positions. Others believe that racism and discrimination are still pervasive in the NBA, making it difficult for black coaches to get hired and be successful.
Whatever the reasons for the decline, it is clear that black coaches are underrepresented in the NBA compared to their white counterparts. This lack of diversity is not only bad for black coaches, but it also deprives NBA teams of talented and qualified candidates for head coaching positions.
