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 | |
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| 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 on February 11, 1944, is a well-known American basketball coach and leader in basketball teams. He currently works as a Senior Basketball Advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a coach, he led NBA teams like the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, and Los Angeles Lakers. He also helped as an assistant coach for teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, and Cavaliers. Bernie Bickerstaff has held many important roles in NBA team offices. He even worked as a consultant for the famous Harlem Globetrotters.
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Early Life and College Basketball
Bernie Bickerstaff was born in Benham, Kentucky. His father and grandfather worked in the coal mines there. He faced unfair treatment because of his race during his early years. He went to East Benham High School, where he was the main point guard for the school's basketball team.
After finishing high school in 1961, Bickerstaff moved to Cleveland to live with relatives. He thought about joining the Army. Instead, he received a basketball scholarship to play for Rio Grande College. However, he left college early because of racial tension he experienced. He went back to Cleveland to work in a steel mill. The tough working conditions made him decide to try college basketball again.
He then played college basketball at the University of San Diego from 1964 to 1966. In his final year, he was chosen as team captain and the most valuable player (MVP). His team, the Toreros, finished with 17 wins and 11 losses. They even played in the Small College Regional Playoffs. He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Bernie Bickerstaff's Coaching Career
After his college playing days, Bernie Bickerstaff started his coaching journey. His college coach, Phil Woolpert, hired him as an assistant coach for the 1968–69 season. After three seasons, at just 25 years old, he became the head coach of the University of San Diego. This happened after Coach Woolpert suddenly left. Bickerstaff coached the team for four years. In the 1972–1973 season, his team had 19 wins and 9 losses. His total record as head coach there was 54 wins and 49 losses.
Joining the NBA as an Assistant Coach
In 1973, Bernie Bickerstaff joined the Washington Bullets as an assistant coach. He worked under coach K. C. Jones. He was part of the team that won the NBA Championship in 1978. After 12 seasons with the Bullets, he left to become a head coach in the NBA.
Leading NBA Teams
Bickerstaff became the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1985. He coached the Sonics from 1985 to 1990. During his time there, the team reached the Western Conference Finals in 1987.
From 1990 to 1997, Bickerstaff also served as the president and general manager for the Denver Nuggets. He coached the Nuggets from 1994 to 1996.
In 1997, Wes Unseld hired Bickerstaff to coach the Bullets again. The team made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1988. After leaving the team in 1999, he coached the St. Louis Swarm in the International Basketball League for two years. He was named IBL Coach of the Year twice.
In 2003, Bickerstaff was hired to be the first head coach and general manager for the new team, the Charlotte Bobcats.
Time with the Los Angeles Lakers
In the 2012–13 season, Bickerstaff joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach to Mike Brown. On November 9, 2012, he became the interim head coach of the Lakers after Coach Brown was let go. He coached the team for five games, winning four of them. This was a very high winning percentage for the Lakers, even though it was for a short time. He continued as an assistant coach after Mike D'Antoni became the official head coach.
Return to the Cleveland Cavaliers
In the summer of 2013, Bickerstaff 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 was with the team when they won the NBA Championship in 2016.
Head Coaching Record in the NBA
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1985–86 | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Seattle | 1986–87 | 82 | 39 | 43 | .476 | 4th in Pacific | 14 | 7 | 7 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| Seattle | 1987–88 | 82 | 44 | 38 | .537 | 3rd in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First round |
| Seattle | 1988–89 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Pacific | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Seattle | 1989–90 | 82 | 41 | 41 | .500 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Denver | 1994–95 | 32 | 20 | 12 | .625 | 4th in Midwest | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Denver | 1995–96 | 82 | 35 | 47 | .427 | 4th in Midwest | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Denver | 1996–97 | 13 | 4 | 9 | .308 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Washington | 1996–97 | 35 | 22 | 13 | .628 | 4th in Atlantic | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in First round |
| Washington | 1997–98 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Washington | 1998–99 | 50 | 18 | 32 | .360 | 6th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Charlotte | 2004–05 | 82 | 18 | 64 | .220 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Charlotte | 2005–06 | 82 | 26 | 56 | .317 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Charlotte | 2006–07 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| L.A. Lakers | 2012–13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | (interim) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 937 | 419 | 518 | .447 | 33 | 12 | 21 | .364 |
Awards and 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 1987 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 inducted into the West Coast Conference's first Hall of Honor.
- In 2010, he joined the John McClendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame.
- In 2011, he was recognized as a Kappa Legend and Icon in Sports.
- 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.
Personal Life and Family
Bernie Bickerstaff also worked as a TV and radio analyst. He shared his basketball knowledge with the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, NBA.com, and Sporting News Radio. His son, J. B. Bickerstaff, is also a head coach in the NBA, currently leading the Detroit Pistons. Bernie's wife, Eugenia, 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
