NBA News Wire
Report: Warriors to contact Thibodeau, D’Antoni
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The Golden State Warriors are planning to contact Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and former Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni for their vacancy, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Thibodeau was an assistant with the Boston Celtics when current Warriors owner Joe Lacob was a minority owner of the Celtics when they won the NBA title in 2008.
D’Antoni, who resigned as Lakers coach after the regular season after the team refused to extend his contract, is on a list of names that also includes former NBA coaches Lionel Hollins, George Karl and Jerry Sloan, and current college coaches Fred Hoiberg and Kevin Ollie.
The Warriors are also reportedly waiting for NBA assistants David Fizdale, Alvin Gentry and Nate McMillan to complete playoff runs.
Lacob told the Chronicle that the search for a new coach may take anywhere from one day to two months and could include up to a dozen interviews.
The Warriors are looking to replace Mark Jackson, whom they fired earlier this week. They already contacted former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy about the job. Van Gundy was reportedly informed that the team has “a bushel of other candidates.”
Thibodeau could be an odd fit for the Warriors. He runs a slow-paced, defensive-minded Bulls squad. The Warriors have had success in running a more quicker-paced offense featuring sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry.
D’Antoni and Karl are known for their fast-paced brand of basketball.
TNT analyst Steve Kerr has also been reported as interested but he is also being pursued by the New York Knicks, who may formally offer him the job this week.
