Cold comfort: 18 NBA Coach of the Year winners whose team made an early playoff exit
Being named Coach of the Year is one of the premier honors for NBA coaches but doesn’t mean much if it coincides with playoff disappointment
Which side are you on?: A history of the NBA in 16 labor disputes
As much so as the games, players, and teams themselves, the history of basketball is a history of American labor politics
Thanks for your service, we got it from here: 13 NBA coaches fired mid-season with a winning record
The pressure is on more than ever for NBA coaches, even successful ones, but the habit of firings during winning seasons is hardly new, as can be attested by the coaches on this list
Cast of characters: Nine notable ABA franchise owners
From musicians and shock jocks to magnates and socialites, these are nine especially innovative and/or quirky owners of ABA franchises.
Smells like teen spirit: Ranking the 42 players who were drafted into the NBA straight from high school
With the days seemingly numbered for the current NBA draft age limit, we take a look back at the careers of the 42 players who were drafted by an NBA team straight from high school before that practice was eliminated in 2006.
All the commissioner’s men: Nine enduring NBA conspiracy theories
Like JFK or the Beatles, Michael Jordan is so ingrained in the consciousness of American culture that he was bound to be initiated with at least one conspiracy. But he’s not the only NBA figure or team that’s inspired (relatively) crackpot theories.
Larry Bird isn’t walking through that door: 14 successful NCAA coaches who struggled at the NBA level
The transition from NCAA stardom to NBA success has proven difficult for most players but it’s been even more problematic for most coaches. We detail 14 such examples below.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise
Following their firing, re-signing, retiring, or demotion, these 22 coaches came back to the same NBA franchise a second time, often inexplicably and usually with diminishing returns.
Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes
An NBA franchise changing hands in ownership is often a seamless and relatively mundane event but in these 10 cases, it was a watershed moment, either by virtue of its novelty, its sale price, and/or its impact on the future of the franchise and the league itself.
Line of succession: 20 NCAA coaches who replaced departing legends
With Jon Scheyer set to replace Coach K at Duke in 2022, we take a look back at 20 previous examples of an NCAA program’s legendary coach stepping down and how their replacement performed in the aftermath.
Those who can’t do, teach: Nine non-star players who became legendary coaches
We previously listed great players who were less than stellar as coaches. This is a compilation of players whose careers ranged from average to slightly above average, but went on to become legendary coaches.
Order on the court: 10 people or entities who have filed notable lawsuits against the NBA
Whether it was due to anti-trust or just a lack of trust, here are ten cases where the NBA league office had to defend itself in the court of law
Reign of terror: 19 disastrous tenures from NBA general managers
Unconscionable signings, lopsided trades, unexplainable draft picks, and perplexing personnel decisions are the hallmarks of the eras detailed below, where a general manager put together a performance so dreadful, they arguably set the franchise back years of development.
No longer home for the holidays: 20 notable NBA transactions that took place in late December
With the season typically about one-third finished, and teams starting to settle into understanding their potential and limits, late December is typically a busy time for trades, releases, free agency signings, and coaching changes.
Costs of being the boss: 13 Hall of Fame players who struggled as coaches
With their playing career often fueled by singular talent and ruthless competitiveness, these legendary players found those traits to be mostly a deterrent in their subsequent attempts at coaching in the NBA.
Ancient relics: 15 early NBA franchises that folded
While the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, 76ers, Kings, Pistons, and Hawks have been active in the NBA since the late ’40s, these other early franchises weren’t so lucky and closed up shop after a brief lifetime, often as short as just one season.
Trickle down effect: Six NBA team cultures that took on the personality of their owner
Some were just there for a good time, some wanted to win at any cost, some wanted to give back to their community, and some wanted to just bleed the franchise for whatever it was worth.