LeBron NEVER Had a Great Coach Narrative

[tanibanana]

Coach Spo is now in the Finals, with a bunch of Rookies and border line All-Star in Jimmy.
Is it safe to say that the narrative of LeBron never had a great coach is now dead.

[Kiddlovesnets]

The Spolestra in 2011-2014 was vastly different from the Spolestra today. Hes a top 3 coach right now but, not much in these years, clearly a liability against Gregg Popovich in 2013 and 2014 Finals. Lebron's problem is that he has no patience to grow together with the coach as well as young players. Should've stayed in Miami and waited Spolestra to develop into a great coach like hes now, even Gregg Popovich was much a tactically genius until at least 2005(you could tell that easily by how he was outcoached by Phil Jackson in these years).

Duncan stayed with the Spurs and his got the reward from Gregg Popovich improving into one of the greatest of all time, which brought him 2 more finals appearances and the fifth title in 2014. If Lebron were with the Spurs, he would either have left before Popovich became great, or just got his coach to be fired. This is why Duncan has 5/6 record in NBA Finals while Lebron is 3/9.

[tanibanana]

Coach Spo was clearly outsmarted by Pop, but then again that is Pop.
With what you have said, it is safe to say coach Spo was also great, just not as great as Pop was back then.

But I totally agree. If Heat was coached by “THIS” current Spoelstra, the Heatles could have won more or at least played better in 2011 & 2014.

[TheGoatest]

Spoelstra is definitely a HOF coach. Multiple championship-winning coaches tend to be hall of famers.
He's only a HOF coach because LeBron made him into a HOF coach though, but still, he's a HOF coach.

[Gray GOAT]

Coaches, like players, develop and get better. No coach is just elite from day 1, they make mistakes. Popovich is arguably the greatest coaches of all time and he used to be bad, almost getting fired and replaced by Doc Rivers. Spoelstra now performing as the best coach in the league doesn't mean he was always that way.

[LAL]

Coaches, like players, develop and get better. No coach is just elite from day 1, they make mistakes. Popovich is arguably the greatest coaches of all time and he used to be bad, almost getting fired and replaced by Doc Rivers. Spoelstra now performing as the best coach in the league doesn't mean he was always that way.
What about phil jackson from 90 to 93?

[Gray GOAT]

What about phil jackson from 90 to 93?

Jackson had years of experience as a head coach prior to the NBA, just like Nick Nurse has right now. Spoelstra had none.

[Lebron23]

Jackson had years of experience as a head coach prior to the NBA, just like Nick Nurse has right now. Spoelstra had none.

You should be a moderator in this forum.

[Axe]

Spoelstra is definitely a HOF coach. Multiple championship-winning coaches tend to be hall of famers.
He's only a HOF coach because LeBron made him into a HOF coach though, but still, he's a HOF coach.
In this case, then steve kerr as coach is also very impressive. No coaching background at all prior to 2014 but led the warriors to 65+ wins and an nba title in his rookie season as a coach. From there on, who would have thought that team will become the most recent dynasty in the league for the next few years.

[Lebron23]

In this case, then steve kerr as coach is also very impressive. No coaching background at all prior to 2014 but led the warriors to 65+ wins and an nba title in his rookie season as a coach. From there on, who would have thought that team will become the most recent dynasty in the league for the next few years.

Kerr is a good motivating coach. And in his last championship and finals appearance he actually improved his x and o coaching. Warriors tanked the 2020 nba season.

[Axe]

Kerr is a good motivating coach. And in his last championship and finals appearance he actually improved his x and o coaching. Warriors tanked the 2020 nba season.
Having that said, while his team did several remarkable feats in the different rs they had, the legitimacy of their three rings under him is kinda questionable for people who still don't overlook some interesting factors that come in them until now, like injuries to opposing players during their playoff runs or kd's unethical decision to join them that made the league lopsided for a few seasons.

[LAL]

Jackson had years of experience as a head coach prior to the NBA, just like Nick Nurse has right now. Spoelstra had none.

Coaching in cba and puerto rico and not getting nba gigs before bulls is not much better than being assistant coach for 10 years before becoming head coach and winning rings with that same miami franchise.

[Lebron23]

Spo is a good coach, but not as good as Popovic and Phil.

[ArbitraryWater]

Spo wasnt a great coach a decado ago.

A young rookie pup

He acquired a lot of wisdom over the years, probably mainly due to his experience in those runs with LeBron.

He's now very mature and patient.

But he wasnt a great coach during the LeBron tenure.

[guy]

Jackson had years of experience as a head coach prior to the NBA, just like Nick Nurse has right now. Spoelstra had none.

Spo actually was an NBA head coach before Lebron. He coached Wade and a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs 2 years in a row before Lebron and Bosh came there. That’s easily more valuable experience then Phil before Jordan or Pop before Duncan.

People want to bring up that Spo has gotten better with more experience but they seem to ignore that’s the same thing that happens with all coaches including Phil and Pop regardless of the winning. And the same thing will probably occur with Spo. If you actually see who’s in the HOF for coaching, Spo is pretty much a lock even before this season. So yes, this should completely destroy that narrative if we’re applying the same standards we have in the past.

[LAL]

Spo actually was an NBA head coach before Lebron. He coached Wade and a bunch of scrubs to the playoffs 2 years in a row before Lebron and Bosh came there. That’s easily more valuable experience then Phil before Jordan or Pop before Duncan.

People want to bring up that Spo has gotten better with more experience but they seem to ignore that’s the same thing that happens with all coaches including Phil and Pop regardless of the winning. And the same thing will probably occur with Spo. If you actually see who’s in the HOF for coaching, Spo is pretty much a lock even before this season. So yes, this should completely destroy that narrative if we’re applying the same standards we have in the past.

Exactly. And he's been with the same franchise for 25 goddamn years now.

[Lebron23]

Spo wasnt a great coach a decado ago.

A young rookie pup

He acquired a lot of wisdom over the years, probably mainly due to his experience in those runs with LeBron.

He's now very mature and patient.

But he wasnt a great coach during the LeBron tenure.

Leelevate. Lebron making his coaches better.

[ImKobe]

Spo wasnt a great coach a decado ago.

A young rookie pup

He acquired a lot of wisdom over the years, probably mainly due to his experience in those runs with LeBron.

He's now very mature and patient.

But he wasnt a great coach during the LeBron tenure.

He wasn't a rookie in 2011... He's been a HC since the 08-09 season & had worked as an assistant since '97.. He had already been apart of a championship coaching staff and worked under Riley for years.

[guy]

Exactly. And he's been with the same franchise for 25 goddamn years now.

He's not just a HOFer, but deserving or not he's likely going to go down as an all-time great given he probably has another 15-20 years of coaching left. And given the current personnel, the Heat culture and Miami market, his teams will probably be making the playoffs >80% of that time and contending for a good portion of that time as well. And if they actually win this series, he could probably retire right after and be considered an all-time great.