Bernie Bickerstaff facts for kids
Bickerstaff visits the White House with the Chicago Bulls in February 2009, before the Bulls' game against the Washington Wizards.
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| Cleveland Cavaliers | |
|---|---|
| Sr. Basketball Advisor | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 11, 1944 Benham, Kentucky, U.S. |
| High school | East Benham (Benham, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| Coaching career | 1968–2014 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1968–1969 | San Diego (assistant) |
| 1969–1973 | San Diego |
| 1973–1985 | Capital/Washington Bullets (assistant) |
| 1985–1990 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1994–1996 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1996–1999 | Washington Bullets/Wizards |
| 1999–2001 | St. Louis Swarm |
| 2004–2007 | Charlotte Bobcats |
| 2008–2010 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 2010–2012 | Portland Trail Blazers (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Lakers (interim) |
| 2013–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944) is a well-known American basketball coach and executive. He works in the front office for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a Senior Basketball Advisor. Bernie has coached many teams in the NBA, including the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, and Los Angeles Lakers. He has also been an assistant coach for teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls.
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Early Life and School
Bernie Bickerstaff was born in Benham, Kentucky. His father and grandfather worked in coal mines. He went to East Benham High School, where he was the starting point guard for the basketball team.
After high school in 1961, Bernie moved to Cleveland. He thought about joining the Army. Instead, he got a basketball scholarship to play for Rio Grande College. He faced some tough times there and left early.
He went back to Cleveland to work in a steel mill. The work was very hard, so he decided to play college basketball again. He played for the University of San Diego from 1964 to 1966. In his last year, he was named team captain and the most valuable player (MVP). His team finished with a great record of 17 wins and 11 losses.
A Career in Professional Basketball
After college, Bernie Bickerstaff became an assistant coach at the University of San Diego in 1968. At just 25 years old, he became the head coach there for four years. His team had a good record of 54 wins and 49 losses.
In 1973, Bernie joined the Washington Bullets as an assistant coach. He helped the team win the NBA Championship in 1978. After 12 seasons, he left to become the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1985. He led the Sonics to the Western Conference Finals in 1987.
From 1990 to 1997, Bickerstaff worked as the president and general manager for the Denver Nuggets. He also coached the team from 1994 to 1996.
In 1997, he returned to coach the Washington Bullets (who later became the Wizards). He helped them reach the playoffs for the first time since 1988. After leaving in 1999, he coached the St. Louis Swarm for two years. He was named the IBL Coach of the Year twice.
In 2003, Bernie became the first head coach and general manager for the new Charlotte Bobcats team.
In the 2012-2013 season, Bickerstaff joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach. When the head coach was fired, Bernie became the interim (temporary) head coach. He coached the Lakers for five games, winning four of them. This was a very high winning percentage for the Lakers, even though it was only for a short time! He continued as an assistant coach but left after that season.
In 2013, Bernie became an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The next year, he moved into a front office role as a senior advisor. As part of the Cavaliers' front office, he helped the team win the NBA Championship in 2016.
Awards and Special Honors
Bernie Bickerstaff has received many awards for his work in basketball:
- In 1987, he won the Horace Mann Award for Leadership. He was also named the Sports Person of the Year by the New York Pro-Am Basketball Association.
- In 1995, he was added to the University of San Diego's Hall of Fame.
- He was honored by the West Coast Conference in their first Hall of Honor.
- In 2010, he was inducted into the John McClendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame.
- In 2012, he was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.
- His hometown of Benham, Kentucky, named a street after him: Bernard Bickerstaff Boulevard.
- In 2014, he received the NBA's Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors coaches for their long and successful careers.
About His Family
Bernie Bickerstaff also worked as a TV and radio analyst, sharing his basketball knowledge. His son, J. B. Bickerstaff, is also a basketball coach and is currently the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Bernie is married to Eugenia, who is retired. He has two other sons, Bernard Jr. and Tim, and two daughters, Cydni and Robin.
See also
In Spanish: Bernie Bickerstaff para niños
