5 NBA coaches who became All-Star game HC's after signing midseason
Being named an All-Star Game coach in the NBA is a distinct honor for every bench tactician, as not everyone gets the opportunity to be called as such. That is why league coaches make sure to get things going for their teams right at the onset of the tournament to earn consideration for the coveted coaching spot.
Every now and then, however, there are those who are fortunate enough to be featured in the Midseason Classic despite signing with their teams well into the NBA year. Traditionally, coaches of the teams with the best records in the Eastern and Western conferences are given the All-Star gigs.
Here are the coaches who earned All-Star nods after signing midseason.
5 NBA coaches named All-Star coaches despite signing midway into the season
#5. Ed Macauley (St. Louis Hawks/1958-59)
Ed Macauley was the first to achieve the feat back in the 1958-59 season. He was named player-coach that year but after just 14 regular season games, he retired as a player and focused on his coaching duties.
"Easy Ed" led St. Louis to the best record in the Western Conference that year (49-23) and along the way coached the West All-Stars.
Macauley coached a team boasting three Hawks as starters, namely Bob Pettitt, Slater Martin and Cliff Hagan, against the East squad coached by Boston’s Red Auerbach. They went on to win, 124-108.
The following season, he was once again named an All-Star coach.
#4. Billy Cunningham (Philadelphia/1977-78)
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Billy Cunningham was the second midseason-signing coach to steer an NBA All-Star Game team, doing it in the 1977-78 season.
The "Kangaroo Kid" replaced Gene Shue as Sixers coach after they went 2-4 early in their campaign. He successfully turned things around for the team, which finished with the best record in the East (55-27).
Cunningham was selected East coach in the All-Star Game and they defeated the West side of Portland’s Jack Ramsay, 133-125, with Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves leading the way with 27 points and named MVP.
He would coach in the ASG three more times after in 1980, 1981 and 1983.
#3. Pat Riley (LA Lakers/1981-82)
Pat Riley was elevated as head coach of the LA Lakers six games into the 1981-82 season after the team decided to fire champion coach Paul Westhead six games into the tournament with superstar Magic Johnson unhappy with style of the former coach.
The Lakers finished that season with the best record in the West (57-25) and eventually won the NBA title.
As an All-Star coach that season, Riley absorbed a loss to the Bill Fitch-coached East squad, 120-118, with Boston’s Larry Bird emerging as MVP.
It was the first of nine All-Star appearances he would have in his career with the LA Lakers and later on with the New York Knicks.
#2. Tyronn Lue (Cleveland Cavaliers/2015-16)
The league did not see a midseason-signing All-Star coach again until Tyronn Lue did in the 2015-16 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He came on board midway into that NBA year after the Cavaliers fired erstwhile coach David Blatt.
Four games after he was elevated as head coach, Lue was named the Eastern Conference coach as Cleveland had the best record in the conference at that point.
The East, however, fell to the West side coached by San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, 196-173, with OKC Thunder’s Russell Westbrook named MVP.
He has not been named ASG coach since but for that year he steered the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA title, anchored on LeBron James.
#1. Doc Rivers (Milwaukee Bucks/2023-24)
Similar to the case of Tyronn Lue, one-time champion coach Doc Rivers found himself given All-Star coaching reins just a few games after being named Milwaukee Bucks coach this season.
Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin who was recently fired by the Bucks and three games since being named coach he earned the spot to handle the East team this season with Milwaukee having the next best record in the conference.
Joe Mazzulla, of the East-leading Celtics, has gotten the job but since he already coached last season he was automatically ineligible under existing league rules.
In the ASG this year, Rivers, who is making his fourth All-Star appearance as coach, will have Bucks superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in the East team.