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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Explains Why He Never Coached in the NBA
Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.
All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated8 mins ago on August 22, 2025
Reputation Over Resume
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history, but he never became an NBA head coach. The six-time MVP believes his reputation as a difficult personality played a major role in that outcome.
“When I first tried to do some coaching, I was approaching 50,” Abdul-Jabbar told Harvard Business Review in 2012. “So, I was advanced in years to be a rookie. And then the whole lack of being social, my reputation as a difficult person, might have scared people off.”
Despite his unmatched knowledge of the game, NBA teams consistently passed on offering him a head coaching role.
Limited NBA Experience
Abdul-Jabbar did have a brief coaching stint in the league. In 1999, the Los Angeles Clippers hired him as an assistant, but the position lasted just one season. Later, his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, asked him to mentor young center Andrew Bynum.
Kareem took pride in the progress Bynum made under his guidance.
“He was 17 years old when I started working with him and had not played a lot of basketball. He made great strides because he had a great attitude, and I think I was able to make him a very valuable member of our team,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
Still, NBA teams never moved forward with head coaching offers.
Success Outside the League
Abdul-Jabbar proved his coaching ability elsewhere. In 2002, he took over the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League. In his first and only season, he led them to a championship. Many considered it one of his finest accomplishments after retiring as a player.
Even that success wasn’t enough to change perceptions in NBA front offices. “I had a tough transition, because people didn’t think I could deal with people back and forth and the give and take,” he admitted.
Closing the Door
Now 78, Abdul-Jabbar remains healthy and active but has long accepted that an NBA coaching opportunity is unlikely. His journey shows that even one of the greatest players in history isn’t guaranteed a path into coaching. In his case, reputation outweighed resume.
