Veteran NBA head coach who in 2010 became only the seventh in NBA history to win 1,000 games. His stops have been in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee and Denver for an overall record of 1,1131-756 (.599) in the regular season and 80-105 (.432) in the playoffs. Was named NBA Coach of the Year after leading Denver to a 57-25 record in 2013, but was fired after a first-round exit in the playoffs. Will turn 62 in May. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
George Karl has persistently taken calls lately, answering endless questions about his interest level in various NBA head-coaching vacancies.
So it sounds like Karl has a flurry of job interviews lined up, right? Not exactly.
“It is ringing, but I think most of the ringing is done now by the media,” Karl said Wednesday on an appearance with SiriusXM NBA Radio hosted by former Lakers forward Rick Fox and Jared Greenberg. “The teams right now have a process and some of the teams haven’t gotten into the process at a high level.”
Those include a number of teams, including the Lakers, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks. As for the Lakers, they have taken their time with a week-long search. So much that they haven’t reached out to possible coaching candidates, including Karl.
Karl conceded as such despite having extensive NBA head-coaching experience and having a friendship with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak stemmed from being roommates at North Carolina.
“I’m respecting that when the process occurs, Mitch will probably give me a phone conversation along the way,” Karl said. “I do want to get back in the gym. But in the same sense, I have a lot of – what’s the best phrase – I have a lot of respect for the game and I have a lot of respect for the job, it’s a difficult job. And whatever Mitch is thinking or whatever Jim Buss is thinking or whatever Golden State is thinking or whatever Detroit is thinking…whatever Phil [Jackson] is thinking in New York, I let the process happen. I would love the opportunity to probably talk to people when they think I’m a person they should be talking to.”
Karl became only the seventh coach in NBA history in 2010 to win 1,000 games, made a Finals appearance in 1996 with the former Seattle Supersonics and made 22 playoff appearances. But despite being named NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Denver Nuggets to a 57-25 record in 2013, Karl was fired following a first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.
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