George Karl

George Karl

3x CBA & NBA Coach of the Year | 6th All-Time in NBA Coaching Wins | 2022 Naismith Hall of Fame Inductee

After a 5-season playing career and a stint as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, Karl’s true coaching identity was born in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Between 1980 and 1983, he led the Montana Golden Nuggets, where he won two CBA Coach of the Year awards and reached two finals.

After early NBA head coaching stops in Cleveland and Golden State, Karl returned to the CBA in 1988 with the Albany Patroons. This second stint was historic; in 1991, he led Albany to a staggering 50–6 record, including an unprecedented 28–0 perfect home season.

Karl finally reached the NBA mountaintop in the 1990s, taking the Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp-led SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. Over nearly seven seasons, the SuperSonics became a Western Conference powerhouse, winning at least 55 games every full season he coached. This “Golden Era” peaked in 1996, when Seattle won a franchise-record 64 games and pushed Michael Jordan’s 72-win Bulls to six games in the NBA Finals.

  • Overall Coaching Record: 1,255-929

Coaching Philosophy

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Karl returned to the Spurs as an assistant coach under Doug Moe. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Spurs finished with a 48–34 record, reaching the conference finals, but were eliminated by the Washington Bullets in 7 games.

The following season, Coach Moe was fired after a 31-31 start, general manager Bob Bass became the interim. The Spurs finished with a 41–41 record, reaching the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Rockets in 3 games (3-1).

Notable Players Coached

  • Louie Dampier
    • 1975 ABA champion
    • 7× ABA All-Star (1968–1970, 1972–1975)
    • 4× All-ABA Second Team (1968–1970, 1974)
    • 1968 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
  • James Silas
    • 2× ABA All-Star (1975, 1976)
    • 1976 All-ABA First Team
    • 1975 All-ABA Second Team
    • 1973 ABA All-Rookie First Team
    • ABA All-Time Team
    • No. 13 retired by San Antonio Spurs
  • Larry Kenon
    • 1974 ABA champion
    • 3× ABA All-Star (1974–1976)
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1978, 1979)
    • 1974 ABA All-Rookie First Team
  • Mike Gale
    • 1974 ABA champion
    • 2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973, 1974)
  • Mike Green
    • 1975 ABA All-Star
    • ABA All-Rookie First Team (1973–1974)
  • Allan Bristow (Future NBA coach)

Coach Karl was named the first ever head coach of the Montana Golden Nuggets of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In his 3 seasons with the team, he had an overall coaching record of 90-42.

The Golden Nuggets reached the CBA Finals in 1981 and 1983, Karl won Coach of the Year both of those seasons. Despite the success of the team, the franchise folded in 1983.

Notable Players Coached

Coach Karl succeeded Tom Nissalke as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first season, the Cavaliers finished with a 36–46 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics in 4 games (3-1).

The following season after a record of 24-42, Karl was fired and replaced with assistant coach Gene Littles for the rest of the season.

Notable Players Coached

  • World B. Free
  • Johnny Davis
  • Lonnie Shelton
    • 1979 NBA champion
    • 1982 NBA All-Star
    • 1982 NBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • Edgar Jones
    • 1992 Greek Cup winner
    • 1991 Greek League All-Star
    • 1995 CBA champion
    • 1980 All-CBA First Team
    • 1980 CBA Rookie of the Year
  • Eddie Johnson Jr.
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1980, 1981)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1979, 1980)
    • 1987 CBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1987 All-CBA First Team
    • 1987 CBA Newcomer of the Year
  • Kevin Williams
    • 1986 CBA champion
    • 1986 All-CBA Second Team

Coach Karl succeeded Johnny Bach as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. In his first season, the Warriors finished with a 42–40 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1977. They reached the conference semifinals but lost in 5 games (4-1).

The following season after a 16-41 record, Karl was fired and replaced by assistant coach Ed Gregory for the remainder of the season.

Notable Players Coached

  • Chris Mullin
    • 5× NBA All-Star (1989–1993)
    • 1992 All-NBA First Team
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1989, 1991)
    • 1990 All-NBA Third Team
    • No. 17 retired by Golden State Warriors
  • Sleepy Floyd (1987 NBA All-Star)
  • Joe Barry Carroll
    • 1987 NBA All-Star
    • 1981 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Ralph Sampson
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1984–1987)
    • 1985 NBA All-Star Game MVP
    • 1985 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1984 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1984 NBA All-Rookie Team
  • Larry Smith (1981 NBA All-Rookie Team)

On September 5, 1988, Coach Karl was named head coach of the Albany Patroons of the CBA. He led them to a 36–18 record. Karl returned to coach the Patroons in 1990, leading them to a 50–6 season, while winning all 28 home games. For his efforts, Karl was named CBA Coach of the Year for the third time.

Notable Players Coached

  • Mario Elie
    • 3× NBA champion (1994, 1995, 1999)
    • 1990 CBA All-Star
    • 1991 All-CBA First Team
  • Tony Brown (1983 CBA All-Defensive Second Team)

Coach Karl coached Real Madrid of Liga ACB. Madrid finished 69–17, though they dealt with the death of their best player, Fernando Martín Espina. Real Madrid came third in the Spanish league, were Spanish cup semifinalists, and lost the final of the Saporta Cup, Europe’s second most important cup competition.

Karl then returned to Real Madrid for the 1991–92 season, until he left to return to the NBA.

Coach Karl succeeded K.C. Jones as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first season, the team finished with a 55–27 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They made a deep playoff run to the Western Conference Finals but were eliminated in 7 games by the Phoenix Suns.

The following season, the team improved their record to 63–19 but were eliminated in the playoffs early in the first round by the Denver Nuggets in 5 games (3-2). In 1996, the SuperSonics finished with a 64–18 record, making a deep playoff run to the NBA finals but lost to Phil Jackson and his Chicago Bulls in 6 games.

In Karl’s last season in 1998, the SuperSonics finished with a 61–21 record and were eliminated in the semifinals by the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games (4-1).

At the time of his departure, Karl had an overall coaching record of 384-150 and a 40-40 playoff record, the most in Seattle SuperSonics history.

Notable Players Coached

  • Gary Payton
    • 2006 NBA champion
    • 9× NBA All-Star (1994–1998, 2000–2003)
    • 2× All-NBA First Team (1998, 2000)
    • 5× All-NBA Second Team (1995–1997, 1999, 2002)
    • 2× All-NBA Third Team (1994, 2001)
    • 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
    • 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1994–2002)
    • 2000 NBA assists leader
    • 1996 NBA steals leader
    • 1991 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
    • NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection
  • Shawn Kemp
    • 6× NBA All-Star (1993–1998)
    • 3× All-NBA Second Team (1994–1996)
  • Detlef Schrempf
    • 3× NBA All-Star (1993, 1995, 1997)
    • 1995 All-NBA Third Team
    • 2× NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1991, 1992)
  • Vin Baker
    • 4× NBA All-Star (1995–1998)
    • 1998 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1997 All-NBA Third Team
    • 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Terry Cummings
    • 2× NBA All-Star (1985, 1989)
    • 1985 All-NBA Second Team
    • 1989 All-NBA Third Team
    • 1983 NBA Rookie of the Year
    • 1983 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Nate McMillian
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1994, 1995)
    • 1994 NBA steals leader
    • No. 10 retired by Seattle SuperSonics
    • Future NBA Head Coach
  • Dana Barros
    • 1995 NBA All-Star
    • 1995 NBA Most Improved Player
  • Hersey Hawkins
    • 1991 NBA All-Star
    • 1989 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Dale Ellis
    • 1989 NBA All-Star
    • 1989 All-NBA Third Team
    • 1987 NBA Most Improved Player
    • 1989 NBA Three-Point Contest champion

Coach Karl succeeded Chris Ford as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. In his first season, due to the 1998 lockout, it was a shortened season, the Bucks finished with a 28–22 record, qualifying for the playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the Indiana Pacers in 3 games (3-0).

The following season, the Bucks finished with a 42–40 record, qualifying for the playoffs, where they met the Indiana Pacers once again, being eliminated by them in 5 games (3-2).

In 2001, The Bucks improved their record to 52–30, making a deep playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals, but after a hard-fought battle of 7 games against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bucks were eliminated. In 2002, the Bucks finished with a 41-41 record but missed the playoffs for the first time under Karl.

In 2003, Karl’s last season with the Bucks, the team finished with a 42-40 record and made it back into the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Nets in 6 games. At the time of his departure, he had an overall coaching record of 205-173, as of 2026, it is the 4th most regular season wins in Bucks history.

Notable Players Coached

  • Ray Allen
    • 2× NBA champion (2008, 2013)
    • 10× NBA All-Star (2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011)
    • 2005 All-NBA Second Team
    • 2001 All-NBA Third Team
    • 2001 NBA Three-Point Contest champion
    • 1997 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
    • NBA 75th Anniversary Team
  • Sam Cassell
    • 3× NBA champion (1994, 1995, 2008)
    • 2004 NBA All-Star
    • 2004 All-NBA Second Team
  • Gary Payton
    • 2006 NBA champion
    • 9× NBA All-Star (1994–1998, 2000–2003)
    • 2× All-NBA First Team (1998, 2000)
    • 5× All-NBA Second Team (1995–1997, 1999, 2002)
    • 2× All-NBA Third Team (1994, 2001)
    • 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
    • 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1994–2002)
    • 2000 NBA assists leader
    • 1996 NBA steals leader
    • NBA 75th Anniversary Team selection
  • Michael Redd (2004 NBA All-Star & 2004 All-NBA Third Team)
  • Toni Kukoč
    • 3× NBA champion (1996–1998)
    • 1996 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
    • 1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team
  • Dell Curry
    • 1994 NBA Sixth Man of The Year
    • No. 30 retired by Charlotte Hornets
  • Glenn Robinson
    • 2005 NBA champion
    • 2× NBA All-Star (2000, 2001)
    • 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Darvin Ham (Future NBA Head Coach & 2021 NBA champion as an assistant)
  • Vinny Del Negro (Future NBA Head Coach)
  • Michael Curry (Future NBA Head Coach)

Notable Players Coached

Coach Karl succeeded Michael Malone as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. In his first and only season, the Kings finished with a 33–49 record, missing the playoffs.

Notable Players Coached

  • Rajon Rondo
    • 2× NBA champion (2008, 2020)
    • 4× NBA All-Star (2010–2013)
    • 2012 All-NBA Third Team
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2010, 2011)
    • 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2009, 2012)
    • 3× NBA assists leader (2012, 2013, 2016)
    • 2010 NBA steals leader
  • DeMarcus Cousins
    • 4× NBA All-Star (2015–2018)
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (2015, 2016)
    • 2011 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Caron Butler
    • 2011 NBA champion
    • 2× NBA All-Star (2007, 2008)
    • 2003 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • Seth Curry
    • 2× NBA D-League All-Star (2014, 2015)
    • 2015 All-NBA D-League First Team
    • 2014 All-NBA D-League Third Team