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[Saba Sports News] Jason Kidd and Joe Mazzulla will become just the third pair of Black head coaches in NBA Finals history. As the Celtics and Mavericks face off this week, these coaches not only take pride in their teams but also in their roles at the forefront of diversity and inclusion in the league.
The first pair of Black head coaches in the NBA Finals were Al Attles of the Golden State Warriors and K.C. Jones of the Washington Bullets in 1975. Attles led the Warriors to a 4-0 sweep, with Rick Barry named Finals MVP.
The second instance, though unofficial, occurred 42 years later when Tyronn Lue coached the Cleveland Cavaliers. During this time, Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr was sidelined, and assistant coach Mike Brown led the team to a 4-1 victory over the Cavaliers.
Thus, Kidd and Mazzulla are technically the second official pair of Black head coaches in NBA Finals history. Notably, Kyrie Irving will be the only player to have participated in two NBA Finals with both head coaches being Black, having played in the 2017 Finals with the Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving, who joined the Mavericks, hopes to replicate Kidd’s success as a player with the team and win a title this year. As Irving and the Mavericks aim for their second championships, Kidd faces a challenging task against the Celtics, the favorites for the NBA championship this season.