Lionel Hollins facts for kids
Hollins in Vancouver during a 2010 pre-season game.
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| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 19, 1953 Arkansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
| High school | Rancho (North Las Vegas, Nevada) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 1975–1985 |
| Coaching career | 1985–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1975–1980 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1980–1982 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1982–1983 | San Diego Clippers |
| 1983–1984 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1984–1985 | Houston Rockets |
| As coach: | |
| 1985–1988 | Arizona State (assistant) |
| 1988–1995 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 1995–1999 | Vancouver Grizzlies (assistant) |
| 1999–2000 | Vancouver Grizzlies (interim) |
| 2000–2001 | Las Vegas Silver Bandits |
| 2002 | Saint Louis Skyhawks |
| 2002–2007 | Memphis Grizzlies (assistant) |
| 2004 | Memphis Grizzlies (interim) |
| 2008–2009 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2009–2013 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2014–2016 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2019–2021 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2022–2023 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As assistant coach:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 7,809 (11.6 ppg) |
| Assists | 3,006 (4.5 apg) |
| Steals | 1,053 (1.6 spg) |
Lionel Eugene Hollins, born on October 19, 1953, is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a point guard, Hollins played for the Portland Trail Blazers. He helped them win an NBA championship in 1977 and was chosen as an NBA All-Star in 1978. The Trail Blazers honored him by retiring his jersey number 14.
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Lionel Hollins' Playing Career
Lionel Hollins played as a point guard for ten years in the NBA. During this time, he played for five different teams. On average, he scored 11.6 points and made 4.5 assists per game.
Before joining the NBA, Lionel played college basketball. He spent two years at Dixie College in St. George, Utah. After that, he played two seasons at Arizona State University. He later graduated from Arizona State University in 1986 with a degree in sociology.
In 1974, Lionel had a serious injury from a moped crash. Luckily, this did not stop his basketball career. However, his left pinky and ring finger never fully healed.
Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers picked Hollins as the sixth player in the 1975 NBA draft. In his first season, he was named to the All-Rookie first team. He averaged 10.8 points in 78 games for the Blazers that year.
He was a very important player for the Trail Blazers' championship team in 1977. One year later, in 1978, he made his only All-Star Game appearance. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive team twice, in 1978 and 1979.
On April 18, 2007, the Portland Trail Blazers honored Lionel Hollins by retiring his jersey number 14. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.
Lionel Hollins' Coaching Career
After he stopped playing basketball, Hollins became a coach. He started as an assistant coach at his old college, Arizona State, in 1985. He stayed there until 1988.
Early Coaching Roles
In 1988, Cotton Fitzsimmons brought Hollins to join his coaching staff with the Phoenix Suns. In Hollins' first season with Phoenix, the Suns improved a lot. They won 27 more games than the year before and reached the Western Conference Finals. Fitzsimmons was named Coach of the Year. Player Kevin Johnson said Hollins helped him become one of the best Suns players ever.
Hollins was an assistant coach during a very successful time for the Suns. The team had missed the playoffs for three years before he joined. With him, the Suns won more than 53 games each season and almost always made it past the first round of the playoffs. A highlight was the 1992–93 season, when they won 62 games. Led by coach Paul Westphal and MVP Charles Barkley, they reached the 1993 NBA Finals but lost to the Chicago Bulls.
In 1995, Hollins became part of the first coaching staff for the new Vancouver Grizzlies team. On December 16, 1999, he became the interim (temporary) coach of the Grizzlies after the previous coach was fired. Even though players liked him, he was not kept as the head coach after that season. This was the first of three times Hollins coached the Grizzlies.
In 2000, Hollins was the head coach for the Las Vegas Silver Bandits in the International Basketball League (IBL). His team had a good record, but the Bandits team closed down in March 2001. The IBL also closed later that year.
Hollins then worked as an assistant coach for the Harlem Globetrotters in 2001. In 2002, he was the head coach for the St. Louis SkyHawks in the United States Basketball League (USBL).
Return to the Grizzlies
In 2002, Hollins went back to the Grizzlies as an assistant coach. By this time, the team had moved and was now the Memphis Grizzlies. He stayed in this role until 2007. During that time, he also served as an interim coach for four games in 2004. On May 14, 2008, Hollins was hired as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
On January 25, 2009, Hollins was named the Grizzlies' head coach again. This was his third time coaching the Grizzlies, but the first time he was the official head coach, not just interim. The Grizzlies had been struggling, winning only 22 games in each of the two seasons before. Hollins focused on building a team with players who played his "hard-nosed" style. This period became known as the "Grit and Grind" era for the Grizzlies.
His first big move as coach was making Mike Conley and Marc Gasol starting players. In his first summer as coach, Memphis got Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. Hollins believed these players were perfect for his style of basketball. All four players had very successful careers in Memphis.
On February 11, 2011, Hollins won his 100th game as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. That season, he led his team to a 46–36 record, earning the eighth spot in the playoffs. The Grizzlies then surprised everyone by beating the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. This was the first time the team had ever won a playoff series. They were also only the fourth eighth-seeded team in NBA history to beat a number one seed. They later lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
In the 2011-2012 NBA season, which was shorter due to a lockout, Hollins' Grizzlies finished with a 41–25 record. This was the best winning percentage in the team's history at that time. Hollins was named Coach of the Month for April because the Grizzlies had a great 13–3 record that month. This strong finish helped the Grizzlies get home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time. However, they lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.
In the 2012–2013 season, Hollins led Memphis to a team record of 56 wins. This broke their previous winning percentage record. Marc Gasol was named Defensive Player of the Year, and the Grizzlies were known for their strong defense.
The Grizzlies got revenge on the Los Angeles Clippers by beating them in six games in the first round of the playoffs. In the next round, they defeated the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. This meant Memphis reached their first-ever conference finals. However, they were swept (lost all four games) by the experienced San Antonio Spurs, ending their playoff run.
On June 10, 2013, it was announced that Hollins' contract with the Grizzlies would not be renewed. He is still considered the Grizzlies' most successful coach. He led them to three straight playoff appearances, their first playoff win, and the best winning percentage in team history. As of 2024, the Grizzlies have not returned to the conference finals since Hollins left.
Later Coaching Roles
On July 2, 2014, Hollins agreed to become the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons. He was officially introduced on July 7, 2014. In his first season, he led the Nets to the playoffs. On January 10, 2016, he was no longer the head coach for the Nets after the team started the 2015–16 season with a 10–27 record.
On July 31, 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Hollins as an assistant coach. Hollins won his second NBA championship on October 11, 2020, when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals in 6 games.
On July 3, 2022, the Houston Rockets hired Hollins as an assistant coach.
Personal Life
Lionel Hollins has two sons who also played basketball. His son, Austin Hollins, played college basketball for the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team. Austin has also played professionally in the EuroLeague.
His other son, Anthony, played Division III basketball for Washington University in St. Louis. Anthony is now an orthopedic surgeon.
Images for kids
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Hollins in Vancouver during a 2010 pre-season game.
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Hollins was a key member of the Trail Blazers' 1976–77 championship team.
See also
In Spanish: Lionel Hollins para niños
