List of NBA All-Star Game head coaches

This is a list of NBA All-Star Game head coaches. The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is an annual basketball exhibition game held during the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season. For most of its history, the All-Star Game was played between the Western Conference All-Stars and the Eastern Conference All-Stars, where the head coach for each All- Star team was the coach of the NBA team with the best record from their respective conference. From the 2018 to the 2023 game, the format of the game was slightly altered. The starters and reserves were chosen as usual, but the two captains (one from each conference) draft their team from those starters and reserves. The coaches are also selected as usual, and matched with the captain from their respective conference.

To ensure that a different coach represents their conference each year, there is a rule against a head coach making a consecutive appearance. Instead, the coach with the next best record is selected. This rule is known as the "Riley Rule" and was introduced in the early 1990s after the dominance of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers team in the Western Conference, which was coached by Pat Riley.

Only Lenny Wilkens (SuperSonics, Cavaliers, and Hawks), Alex Hannum (Hawks, Warriors, and 76ers), and Doc Rivers (Celtics, 76ers, and Bucks) have represented three separate teams as the All-Star Game coach. Red Auerbach, the head coach for the Boston Celtics between 1950–1966, coached the most All-Star Games with 11 appearances.

Key

^ Denotes coach who is currently coaching an NBA team
* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach
*^ Active NBA coach who has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Coach (X) Denotes the number of times the coach has been selected, up to and including that season

Eastern Division / Conference (1951–2017)

Year Head coach Team Ref.
1951 Joe Lapchick New York Knicks [1]
1952 Al Cervi Syracuse Nationals [2]
1953 Joe Lapchick (2) New York Knicks [3]
1954 Joe Lapchick (3) New York Knicks [4]
1955 Al Cervi (2) Syracuse Nationals [5]
1956 George Senesky Philadelphia Warriors [6]
1957 Red Auerbach* Boston Celtics [7]
1958 Red Auerbach* (2) Boston Celtics [8]
1959 Red Auerbach* (3) Boston Celtics [9]
1960 Red Auerbach* (4) Boston Celtics [10]
1961 Red Auerbach* (5) Boston Celtics [11]
1962 Red Auerbach* (6) Boston Celtics [12]
1963 Red Auerbach* (7) Boston Celtics [13]
1964 Red Auerbach* (8) Boston Celtics [14]
1965 Red Auerbach* (9) Boston Celtics [15]
1966 Red Auerbach* (10) Boston Celtics [16]
1967 Red Auerbach* (11) None[A] [17]
1968 Alex Hannum* (3) Philadelphia 76ers [18]
1969 Gene Shue Baltimore Bullets [19]
1970 Red Holzman* New York Knicks [20]
1971 Red Holzman* (2) New York Knicks [21]
1972 Tom Heinsohn* Boston Celtics [22]
1973 Tom Heinsohn* (2) Boston Celtics [23]
1974 Tom Heinsohn* (3) Boston Celtics [24]
1975 K. C. Jones Washington Bullets [25]
1976 Tom Heinsohn* (4) Boston Celtics [26]
1977 Gene Shue (2) Philadelphia 76ers [27]
1978 Billy Cunningham Philadelphia 76ers [28]
1979 Dick Motta Washington Bullets [29]
1980 Billy Cunningham (2) Philadelphia 76ers [30]
1981 Billy Cunningham (3) Philadelphia 76ers [31]
1982 Bill Fitch* Boston Celtics [32]
1983 Billy Cunningham (4) Philadelphia 76ers [33]
1984 K. C. Jones (2) Boston Celtics [34]
1985 K. C. Jones (3) Boston Celtics [35]
1986 K. C. Jones (4) Boston Celtics [36]
1987 K. C. Jones (5) Boston Celtics [37]
1988 Mike Fratello Atlanta Hawks [38]
1989 Lenny Wilkens* (3) Cleveland Cavaliers [39]
1990 Chuck Daly* Detroit Pistons [40]
1991 Chris Ford Boston Celtics [41]
1992 Phil Jackson* Chicago Bulls [42]
1993 Pat Riley* (9) New York Knicks [43]
1994 Lenny Wilkens* (4) Atlanta Hawks [44]
1995 Brian Hill Orlando Magic [45]
1996 Phil Jackson* (2) Chicago Bulls [46]
1997 Doug Collins Detroit Pistons [47]
1998 Larry Bird Indiana Pacers [48]
2000 Jeff Van Gundy New York Knicks [49]
2001 Larry Brown* (2) Philadelphia 76ers [50]
2002 Byron Scott New Jersey Nets [51]
2003 Isiah Thomas Indiana Pacers [52]
2004 Rick Carlisle^ Indiana Pacers [53]
2005 Stan Van Gundy Miami Heat [54]
2006 Flip Saunders (2) Detroit Pistons [55]
2007 Eddie Jordan Washington Wizards [56]
2008 Doc Rivers^ Boston Celtics [57]
2009 Mike Brown^ Cleveland Cavaliers [58]
2010 Stan Van Gundy (2) Orlando Magic [59]
2011 Doc Rivers^ (2) Boston Celtics [60]
2012 Tom Thibodeau^ Chicago Bulls [61]
2013 Erik Spoelstra^ Miami Heat [62]
2014 Frank Vogel^ Indiana Pacers [63]
2015 Mike Budenholzer Atlanta Hawks [64]
2016 Tyronn Lue^ Cleveland Cavaliers [65]
2017 Brad Stevens Boston Celtics [66]

Western Division / Conference (1951–2017)

Year Head coach Team Ref.
1951 John Kundla* Minneapolis Lakers [1]
1952 John Kundla* (2) Minneapolis Lakers [2]
1953 John Kundla* (3) Minneapolis Lakers [3]
1954 John Kundla* (4) Minneapolis Lakers [4]
1955 Charley Eckman Fort Wayne Pistons [5]
1956 Charley Eckman (2) Fort Wayne Pistons [6]
1957 Bobby Wanzer Rochester Royals [7]
1958 Alex Hannum* St. Louis Hawks [8]
1959 Ed Macauley St. Louis Hawks [9]
1960 Ed Macauley (2) St. Louis Hawks [10]
1961 Paul Seymour St. Louis Hawks [11]
1962 Fred Schaus Los Angeles Lakers [12]
1963 Fred Schaus (2) Los Angeles Lakers [13]
1964 Fred Schaus (3) Los Angeles Lakers [14]
1965 Alex Hannum* (2) San Francisco Warriors [15]
1966 Fred Schaus (4) Los Angeles Lakers [16]
1967 Fred Schaus (5) Los Angeles Lakers [17]
1968 Bill Sharman* San Francisco Warriors [18]
1969 Richie Guerin Atlanta Hawks [19]
1970 Richie Guerin (2) Atlanta Hawks [20]
1971 Larry Costello Milwaukee Bucks [21]
1972 Bill Sharman* (2) Los Angeles Lakers [22]
1973 Bill Sharman* (3) Los Angeles Lakers [23]
1974 Larry Costello (2) Milwaukee Bucks [24]
1975 Al Attles Golden State Warriors [25]
1976 Al Attles (2) Golden State Warriors [26]
1977 Larry Brown* Denver Nuggets [27]
1978 Jack Ramsay* Portland Trail Blazers [28]
1979 Lenny Wilkens* Seattle SuperSonics [29]
1980 Lenny Wilkens* (2) Seattle SuperSonics [30]
1981 John MacLeod Phoenix Suns [31]
1982 Pat Riley* Los Angeles Lakers [32]
1983 Pat Riley* (2) Los Angeles Lakers [33]
1984 Frank Layden Utah Jazz [34]
1985 Pat Riley* (3) Los Angeles Lakers [35]
1986 Pat Riley* (4) Los Angeles Lakers [36]
1987 Pat Riley* (5) Los Angeles Lakers [37]
1988 Pat Riley* (6) Los Angeles Lakers [38]
1989 Pat Riley* (7) Los Angeles Lakers [39]
1990 Pat Riley* (8) Los Angeles Lakers [40]
1991 Rick Adelman* Portland Trail Blazers [41]
1992 Don Nelson* Golden State Warriors [42]
1993 Paul Westphal Phoenix Suns [43]
1994 George Karl* Seattle SuperSonics [44]
1995 Paul Westphal (2) Phoenix Suns [45]
1996 George Karl* (2) Seattle SuperSonics [46]
1997 Rudy Tomjanovich* Houston Rockets [47]
1998 George Karl* (3) Seattle SuperSonics [48]
2000 Phil Jackson* (3) Los Angeles Lakers [49]
2001 Rick Adelman* (2) Sacramento Kings [50]
2002 Don Nelson* (2) Dallas Mavericks [51]
2003 Rick Adelman* (3) Sacramento Kings [52]
2004 Flip Saunders Minnesota Timberwolves [53]
2005 Gregg Popovich^* San Antonio Spurs [54]
2006 Avery Johnson Dallas Mavericks [55]
2007 Mike D'Antoni Phoenix Suns [56]
2008 Byron Scott (2) New Orleans Hornets [57]
2009 Phil Jackson* (4) Los Angeles Lakers [58]
2010 George Karl* (4) Denver Nuggets [59]
2011 Gregg Popovich^* (2) San Antonio Spurs [60]
2012 Scott Brooks Oklahoma City Thunder [61]
2013 Gregg Popovich^* (3) San Antonio Spurs [62]
2014 Scott Brooks (2) Oklahoma City Thunder [63]
2015 Steve Kerr^ Golden State Warriors [64]
2016

Gregg Popovich^* (4)

San Antonio Spurs [65]
2017 Steve Kerr^ (2) Golden State Warriors [66]

Unconferenced format (2018–2023)

Year Head coach Team All-Star Team Ref.
2018 Dwane Casey Toronto Raptors Team LeBron [67]
Mike D'Antoni (2) Houston Rockets Team Steph
2019 Mike Budenholzer (2) Milwaukee Bucks Team Giannis [68]
Michael Malone^ Denver Nuggets Team LeBron
2020 Nick Nurse^ Toronto Raptors Team Giannis [69]
Frank Vogel^ (2) Los Angeles Lakers Team LeBron
2021 Doc Rivers^ (3) Philadelphia 76ers Team Durant [70]
Quin Snyder^ Utah Jazz Team LeBron
2022 Monty Williams^ Phoenix Suns Team LeBron [71]
Erik Spoelstra^ (2) Miami Heat Team Durant
2023 Michael Malone^ (2) Denver Nuggets Team LeBron [72]
Joe Mazzulla^ Boston Celtics Team Giannis

Eastern Conference (2024–present)

Year Head coach Team Ref.
2024 Doc Rivers^ (4) Milwaukee Bucks [73]

Western Conference (2024–present)

Year Head coach Team Ref.
2024 Chris Finch^ Minnesota Timberwolves [73]

Most selections

Head coach # Selections
Red Auerbach 11 1957–1967 (East)
Pat Riley 9 1982–1983; 1985–1990 (West)
1993 (East)
K. C. Jones 5 1975; 1984–1987 (East)
Fred Schaus 5 1962–1964; 1966–1967 (West)
John Kundla 4 1951–1954 (West)
Tom Heinsohn 4 1972–1974; 1976 (East)
Billy Cunningham 4 1978; 1980–1981; 1983 (East)
Lenny Wilkens 4 1979–1980 (West)
1989; 1994 (East)
Phil Jackson 4 1992; 1996 (East)
2000; 2009 (West)
George Karl 4 1994; 1996; 1998; 2010 (West)
Gregg Popovich 4 2005; 2011; 2013; 2016 (West)
Doc Rivers 4 2008; 2011; 2024 (East)
2021 (Unconferenced)
Joe Lapchick 3 1951; 1953–1954 (East)
Bill Sharman 3 1968; 1972–1973 (West)
Alex Hannum 3 1958; 1965 (West)
1968 (East)
Rick Adelman 3 1991; 2001; 2003 (West)

Notes

  1. ^ Red Auerbach stepped down from the Boston Celtics' head coaching position at the end of the 1965–66 season.

References

  1. ^ a b "1951 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "1952 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "1953 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "1954 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "1955 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "1956 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
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  8. ^ a b "1958 NBA All-Star Game". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
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