Now, it appears we have a second. Kevin McHale is locked in as the next coach of the Houston Rockets, according to numerous sources.
McHale was a Celtic for 13 years, winning three titles and cementing himself as one of the greatest offensive post players ever to play the game. Next to Larry Bird and Robert Parish, McHale and the original Big Three left their imprint on C's history.
But in his post-playing days, McHale has been less than impressive. He took over as general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1994, and he spent a decade and a half guiding that franchise to futility.
His track record over the 15 years before his dismissal in 2009, split between the front office and the bench, includes zero Finals berths, five seasons of 50-plus losses, one free-agency scandal involving a secret Joe Smith contract and one trade of Kevin Garnett to Boston that immediately produced the Celtics' 17th banner. Since retiring as a player, McHale has won more championships for other teams than he has for his own.
McHale brings a career coaching record of 39-55 into his new gig with the Rockets. He's currently regarded higher as a TNT personality, acting as a sidekick to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, than as a coach or GM. But in Houston, he has a second chance to make a name for himself on the sidelines. It should be an interesting one.
The Rockets won 43 games last season, finishing ninth in the West and just barely missing the playoffs, despite having a roster without any stars. Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry are all very nice players, but they're best utilized as options two through four on a successful playoff team. They need a No. 1 guy.
If they Rockets are lucky, Yao Ming will be back and healthy next season. At his best, Yao is absolutely that No. 1 option. The potential is there for a prosperous union between Yao, one of the best post players of his era, and McHale, one of the best ever.
Coaches in this league thrive when they can mentor a player to be just like them. Doc Rivers was a point guard — he runs the Celtics through Rajon Rondo. Phil Jackson was a big man — he had three great ones with the Lakers in Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. Kurt Rambis was a rebounding machine — he now coaches Kevin Love. Avery Johnson was all about defense — so are today's Nets.
For years, McHale had one of the next great big men in NBA history on his side. He drafted Garnett in 1995, and for 12 years KG was the face of the franchise. McHale had a .613 winning percentage coaching him, but was .317 without him.
The next great big man under McHale? It could be Yao. And that could make for quite the turnaround for the big man, his coach and his franchise.
