Ranking the Greatest NBA Coaches of All Time

These coaches have cemented as the greatest in court history.

There’s no denying that the National Basketball Association (NBA), as with other sports, is a players’ league. However, with pro basketball now past 75 seasons of history, there’ve been many iconic NBA coaches as well.

Names such as Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, Chuck Daly and Steve Kerr would be atop any list, while such “lifers” as Jerry Sloan, Rick Adelman, Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Lenny Wilkens, Doc Rivers and George Karl have also made their marks,  

Jackson, of course, leads with 11 titles during his career, six with those Michael Jordan Chicago Bears and another five with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers (historian note O’Neal won three titles in LA).

Auerbach was leading the Boston Celtics to an unheard-of nine NBA titles in a decade, while Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have a hand’s worth with five championships. Riley also has won five titles (four with the Lakers, one with the Miami Heat).

Kerr has four championships with the Golden State Warriors, Daly two with the Detroit Pistons.

If you’re really into old school, John Kundla and the then-Minneapolis Lakers won six titles, four in the nascent NBA and a pair in defunct leagues. Of course, having George Mikan helped.

At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, there were 11 coaches with multiple league titles and 10 with at least 1,000 regular-season wins in NBA games.   

So, any number of candidates among the great coaches in the history of the NBA.        

Who are the Best NBA Head Coaches of All Time?

NBA news always seems to include the coaches, with pressure to win across the 30-team association. However, there are those coaches who did so with regularity, Hall of Fame enshrinements as proof.   

That’s not necessarily a surprise, as NBA rumors long noted their respective successes.

It’s difficult to go past Phil Jackson (those aforementioned 11 titles) and Red Auerbach (nine). Those two men have combined to win 20 championships in a league that isn’t 80 years of age.

Who is the Longest-Tenured Coach in the NBA? 

If you want to discuss the true veteran among current NBA coaches, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is the guy. Popovich did begin early in the 1996-97 season, and has remained in the Alamo ever since. Health problems aside, Popovich has a league-record 1,400-plus wins to go along with five titles. Having both Tim Duncan (five titles) and David Robinson (two) around was good.

Also, Popovich’s teams made the NBA playoffs 22 seasons in a row (1997-98 to 2018-19)

Does BetUS Have Constant Updates on NBA Championship Winners’ Odds? 

NBA picks and predictions include a variety of options, especially when it comes to the biggest prize out there, the Larry O’Brien Trophy. As of this writing during the second half of the 2024-25 regular season, it’s two teams dominating the market.

Defending-champion Boston is the tepid 19-10 (+190) favorite to repeat, while Oklahoma City is right behind at 2-1 (+200). If you believe the board, there’s a Celtics-Thunder Finals awaiting.

Priced at 13-2 (+650) on the betting odds, the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the best record in the Eastern (through early March), are the only other team under double digits in early March.

Note that the odds to win the title are fluid. Do not forget to check boards before wagering.    

Any Final Thoughts?

Fans of NBA games and NBA scores know the 82-game season is a grind, but it also offers a wide array of options on which to wager. There are both regular- and postseason awards, including NBA Coach of the Year winner.  

Some low-hanging fruit, as Kenny Atkinson has obviously thrived in his first season with the Cavaliers. He was a 1-8 (-800) choice entering the regular season’s final quadrant.