Luke Walton: 5 things you need to know about the Golden State Warriors' interim head coach
Luke Walton was named coach of the month for November, despite having no wins on his recordMotivation begets success. There are a number of processes and nuances in between, but those two are the first and last dots. Motivation encompasses a spectrum of things – personal ambition, competition, criticism etc.For a team, there are a number of people behind the scenes, bustling about to make the athletes better at what they do; physiotherapists, trainers, nutritionists, family. But at the highest level, such as in the NBA, the onus of motivation and enhancement is concentrated on one person – the coach.Coaches, though indispensable to a team’s success, don’t enjoy the same limelight as the players. They’re stock certainly goes up in the league when their team produces results, but the pendulum swings both ways (read Kevin Mchale). We’re all familiar with the euphemism about those who teach. But that couldn’t be further from the truth in the case of the Golden State Warriors’ coaches.Their head coach, Steve Kerr, is a former five-time NBA champion and one of only two men in the history of the league to win consecutive championships with different teams (Bulls and Spurs). And let’s not undervalue his outstanding shooting skills, some of which have no doubt been imbibed by MVP Steph Curry. Given the intensity of the Warriors’ luminescence, it’s easy to miss some people that should receive their share of applause. We’re talking of course, about Luke Walton, the man helming the ship in Steve Kerr’s absence. Considering that the Warriors are creating all sorts of new records this season, we thought you should know a few things about their interim head coach
#1 He is a two-time NBA Champion
If you thought that was impressive, wait till you hear which team he won them with – the Lakers! Luke Walton played small forward for the NBA’s most valuable franchise when they won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
Known for his passing, he was on the floor the night Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Raptors. Kobe even went as far as calling him the “next Phil (Jackson)”, the 11-time NBA Champion as Head Coach. The context wasn’t completely flattering, as Kobe also called Walton an “average player with a messed up back”, but any comparison to Phil Jackson must be received with bowed head and open hands.