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- Then and now: What NBA coaches looked like when they were players
Then and now: What NBA coaches looked like when they were players
Mike D'Antoni — Houston Rockets
D'Antoni played at Marshall University. He also played four seasons in the NBA and ABA with the Kings, Spurs, and Spirits, as well as several seasons in Europe.
Larry Drew — Cleveland Cavaliers
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Drew played college basketball at the University of Missouri and then 10 seasons in the NBA with the Pistons, Kings, Clippers, and Lakers.
Rick Carlisle — Dallas Mavericks
Carlisle played at the University of Maine before five seasons in the NBA with the Celtics, Knicks, and Nets. He won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 1986.
Steve Kerr — Golden State Warriors
Kerr played at the University of Arizona and then spent 15 seasons in the NBA with six teams. He won five championship rings as a player.
Nate McMillan — Indiana Pacers
McMillan played at North Carolina State and then spent 12 seasons with the SuperSonics.
Erik Spoelstra — Miami Heat
Spoelstra played at the University of Portland.
Spoelstra was also on the court against Loyola-Marymount the night Hank Gathers died.
Doc Rivers — Los Angeles Clippers
Rivers played at Marquette followed by 13 seasons in the NBA with four clubs. He was an All-Star in 1988 with the Hawks.
Luke Walton — Los Angeles Lakers
Walton played college hoops at the University of Arizona and then spent 11 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers and Cavs. He won two rings as a player.
Billy Donovan — Oklahoma City Thunder
Donovan led sixth-seeded Providence to the Final Four in 1987. He later spent one season in the NBA with the Knicks, playing under his former college coach, Rick Pitino.
Scott Brooks — Washington Wizards
Brooks played at TCU and UC-Irvine. He spent 10 seasons in the NBA with six teams.
Brad Stevens — Boston Celtics
Stevens played college hoops at DePauw.
Kenny Atkinson — Brooklyn Nets
Atkinson played at Richmond and then spent more than a decade playing for several clubs in Europe.
Gregg Popovich — San Antonio Spurs
Popovich played basketball at the Air Force Academy. He was later a member of an All-Star US Armed Forces Team that toured Eastern Europe and Russia.
Dwane Casey — Detroit Pistons
Casey played at Kentucky and won an NCAA championship in 1978.
J. B. Bickerstaff — Memphis Grizzlies
Bickerstaff played college ball at Oregon State and Minnesota.
Mike Budenholzer — Milwaukee Bucks
Budenholzer played at Pomona Pitzer.
Brett Brown — Philadelphia 76ers
Brown played at Boston University.
Nick Nurse — Toronto Raptors
Nurse played at the University of Northern Iowa.
Quin Snyder — Utah Jazz
Snyder played in three Final Fours at Duke.
Alvin Gentry — New Orleans Pelicans
Gentry played at Appalachian State.
Lloyd Pierce — Atlanta Hawks
Pierce played at Santa Clara and later spent a few seasons in Europe before beginning his coaching career.
Michael Malone — Denver Nuggets
Malone played at Loyola-Maryland.
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