Greg Popovich and Doc Rivers to coach the 2011 All-Star Game
Boston Celtics coach, Doc Rivers, has been voted the coach of the 2011 All Star team from the Eastern Conference. This completes the line up for coaches’ in the basketball extravaganza. Rivers now joins San Antonio Spurs’ legendary coach, Greg Popovich,
for the coveted honour. Popovich has made it to the All-Star game for the second time in his career. The All Star duel, featuring some of the best players and coaches from both the eastern and west conferences, is one of the most highly anticipated fixtures
in the entire National Basketball Association (NBA) season. Bragging rights will be at stake come 20 February when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant come face to face.
Doc Rivers
Glenn “Doc” Rivers’ seven year stint with the Celtics franchise has been nothing short of an inspiration. Rivers career first came into the limelight when he guided the Celtics to their 17th NBA championship in 2008. He and the Celtics did that in style
too, notching up an NBA all time best 66 wins and 16 losses in the regular season.
That season he was also unanimously declared the NBA coach of the year. With that feat, he became only the fourth Celtics head coach ever to win the award, joining Tom Heinsohn, Bill Fitch and Red Auerbach for whom the trophy is named. The same year, Rivers
also coached the Eastern Conference team for the first time in an All Star game, leading them to a 134-128 victory in New Orleans.
Rivers is currently ranked third among previous Celtics coaches in wins. He passed Bill Fitch last season to move to fourth. After a win against the Sacramento Kings on 12th January the burly coach moved passed K.C. Jones to grab possession of
third place.
This is not the only milestones the head coach of the Celtics has surpassed this season. Rivers masterminded the Celtics to an excellent season start, sparking them to a 13‐4 record and went 7‐1 at home. The Celtics were 7‐0 against the Eastern Conference.
During that period, the Celtics were the only team to have a field goal percentage above 50% during the month.
His efforts and the success of his franchise were also highlighted when he was announced the Eastern Conference coach of the month for October/November. The announcement came at a perfect time for Rivers and the Celtics. They held the best record in the
conference, 37-11, with 95-90 win over the Sacramento Kings at ARCO Arena.
Greg Popovich
The San Antonio Spurs have been the team to beat this season and the man behind the sensational season is their gutsy coach, Greg Popovich. The coach, who has been named ‘Coach of the Month’ for November and December, will now guide the Western Conference
All-Stars.
One of the most shrewd and tactically sound coaches of the league, Popovich has guided the Spurs to the best ever start in franchise history. He has the third best winning percentage (0.676) of any coach in NBA history, behind Phil Jackson and Billy Cunningham,
has played all the right cards this season. At present, the Spurs are reigning proudly at the top of the league with a 40-8 record and are the second team behind the Miami Heat to have notched 40 wins.
In his 15th season as head coach, Popovich has led the Spurs to four NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007) and is one of only five coaches in NBA history to have guided his teams to at least four championships.
The Spurs have been successful this season both at home and on the road. Through the first 27 home games this season, the Spurs are 25-2. On the road the Spurs opened the season with an eight-game winning streak and are now 15-6 on the road, which is the
best in the NBA. The only other time Popovich coached the Western Conference team was during the 2005 All-Star Game in Denver, which the East won 125-115.
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