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Erik Spoelstra, 3 current coaches land on NBA's top-15 coaches of all-time

(Graphic by Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports)
(Graphic by Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports)

As part of the NBA's celebration of the 75th anniversary season, the league revealed the top-15 coaches of all-time Tuesday on TNT.

Lenny Wilkens earned a double honor, being named to both the NBA's 75 greatest players and top coaches of all-time lists. Four current coaches also earned spots on the list.

The selections were made by a panel of all 30 current NBA coaches plus a number of former coaches.

Here are the coaches, in no particular order:

Red Auerbach: Coached Celtics to 16 titles, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member, 885-455 combined regular season and playoffs record

Chuck Daly: Coached 1992 Dream Team, led Pistons to nine consecutive postseason appearances including back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Phil Jackson: NBA record-holder for most NBA titles as a coach (10), was fastest coach to reach 900 wins, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Pat Riley: Won four titles with the Showtime Lakers plus a fifth with the Heat, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Lenny Wilkens: One of the winningest coaches in NBA history, led SuperSonics to title, also named to 75th anniversary team as a player, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Larry Brown: Only coach in NBA history to take seven different franchises to the postseason, coached in the ABA, NBA and at collegiate level, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Red Holzman: Started coaching career as a player-coach in Milwaukee, then turned to full-time coaching, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

K.C. Jones: Won two titles as a coach to pair with eight as a player and two as an assistant coach, never had a losing season, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Don Nelson: Currently holds record for most coaching wins all-time with 1,335, invented the small-ball offense, coached the 1994 Dream Team, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Jack Ramsay: Led the Trail Blazers to a title in his first season coaching the team, reached the postseason 16 times in coaching career, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Steve Kerr: Warriors coach since 2014, has won three titles and reached the Finals in five straight seasons, led 2015-16 team to NBA-record 73 regular-season wins

Gregg Popovich: Spurs coach since 1996, longest-tenured active coach in United States major men's professional sports, on track to set all-time coaching wins record this season, five-time NBA champion

Doc Rivers: 76ers coach since 2020, won NBA title with the Celtics in 2008, earned Coach of the Year in his first coaching season with the Magic

Jerry Sloan: Coached the Jazz for 23 seasons after three seasons as Bulls head coach, led Jazz to 15 straight playoff appearances, only coach to win 1,000 games with one franchise, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member

Erik Spoelstra: Heat coach since 2008, won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, made four straight Finals appearances then a fifth in 2020

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra earned a spot on the NBA's list of the top-15 coaches of all-time in celebration of the 75th anniversary season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra earned a spot on the NBA's list of the top-15 coaches of all-time in celebration of the 75th anniversary season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)