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Jack McKinney Is the NBA’s Best Coach You’ve Never Heard Of
There are various legends linked with the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, sometimes known as the “Showtime” Lakers. Magic and Kareem are the most visible faces, with Riley pulling the strings from the bench at the old Forum in Inglewood, California.
But before Pat, Magic, and Showtime, the Lakers hired an unknown coach named Jack.
McKinney’s stay in Los Angeles was brief.
But his influence was far bigger than most people realize.
That’s because there would be no Showtime if Jack McKinney didn’t exist.
Before being hired by the Lakers
Jack McKinney was a little-known assistant.
Portland Trail Blazers coaches Jack Ramsay and Jack McKinney stand in front of the bench and roar onto the court.
McKinney, who was born in 1935, was a true Philadelphian. His first two coaching opportunities came at his alma maters, St.
James High School for a one-year stay and Saint Joseph’s for an assistant position.
He became the Hawks’ head coach in 1966, replacing his longtime high school coach and future Hall of Famer Jack Ramsay.
In 1974, a 39-year-old McKinney made it to the NBA after being fired from Saint Joseph’s.
For the first time, the former college coach left Philadelphia to work as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ramsay became the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers two years later and hired McKinney as his top assistant.
The Pennsylvania duo guided the Blazers to their first and only championship, as well as two other playoff appearances in three seasons.
By 1979, the Lakers had just accepted former head coach Jerry West’s resignation.
After failing to attract Jerry Tarkanian to fill the vacuum left by West, owner Jerry Buss turned to McKinney, an unheralded assistant with just high school and college head coaching experience.
McKinney was unveiled as LA’s next head coach in late July, only weeks after the organization drafted Magic with the first overall choice.
Dr. Buss mentioned the Lakers’ need to adapt their playing approach from past years.
While McKinney’s external appearance didn’t exactly scream “pizazz,” the 44-year-old had a clear vision for the Lakers.
McKinney founded Showtime and quickly achieved success with Purple and Gold
McKinney was blessed with a talented team.
To go from good to great, they required a winning attitude and a terrific leader.
Simply said, Jack was the best candidate for the job.
Despite West’s efforts to convert Johnson to a forward, McKinney handed his 6-foot-9 rookie command of the offense as the team’s point guard.
This meant moving incumbent floor commander Norm Nixon to shoot the guard and changing the offense’s emphasis away from the ponderous Abdul-Jabbar.
With Magic at point guard, McKinney urged the Lakers to abandon their conventional offense of pre-planned plays in favor of a run-heavy attack that challenged defenders to try to keep up.
Players might have been reticent to adjust under a different coach. McKinney, on the other hand, possessed the perfect temperament to command his team’s respect.
“It was great,” Bob Steiner, LA’s former public relations director, said author Jeff Pearlman in his book Showtime.
“Jack exuded energy from the start. After a great play, he’d run out onto the court and slap someone on the buttocks.
He was the ideal leader for an ideal team.”
It didn’t take long for Jack to see the fruits of his labor.
LA won nine of its first 13 games, thanks to a spectacular Magic, a revitalized Kareem, and a willing Nixon.
The Purple and Gold not only won, but they quickly became the talk of the town.
All because of a coach who understood how to get the most out of his players.
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McKinney’s career ended tragically
McKinney was the obvious choice to lead the Lakers into a new and exciting era from the start.
But, despite having played a significant role in its creation, he was unable to be present as his vision came to life.
The first-year coach was on his way to meet assistant coach Paul Westhead for tennis in early November 1979.
The gears on his bicycle suddenly locked up and brought the machine to a halt, flinging McKinney over the bike and tossing him headfirst into the cement.
The freak accident could have killed him, but instead, he suffered a severe concussion, a fractured cheekbone, a fractured elbow, and numerous bruises.
Westhead took over as interim mayor of Los Angeles.
However, as the wins piled up and McKinney’s recovery stalled (he would end up dealing with significant memory loss over the years), the Lakers made the difficult decision near the end of the season to name Westhead the permanent head coach.
Using McKinney’s offensive strategy, the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA Finals.
They would win four more titles after Riley replaced Westhead, cementing their place as one of basketball’s top dynasties.
In terms of Jack, the visionary took over as head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1980-81 and stayed for four seasons.
He coached the Kansas City Kings for nine games in 1984 before stepping down after a 1-8 start. He was never going to coach again.
“He might have won five or six titles for the Lakers in the ’80s if he hadn’t had the accident,” Riley said in 2006 (h/t: New York Times).
“He invented Showtime,” Nixon explained to Pearlman.
“That is something that should never be forgotten.” Showtime was founded by Jack McKinney.”
Basketball Reference provided all statistics.
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