Many former NBA players wonder why Sam Cassell has yet to land a head coaching job in the NBA. He has extensive coaching experience and boasts a championship resume as a player. But after more than a decade as an assistant coach, Sam can't seem to land the big job. And it's not just that he isn't getting the job; the three-time champion isn't getting the interviews.
During a recent episode of the All The Smoke podcast , former Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson revealed why he thinks Cassell has often been overlooked as a head coach in the league.
"Some people say he don't interview good but what does that mean?" said Jackson. "The interview is in the education and experience is your best teacher. And he has all the experience in the world. So if you want to interview him, the interview should just be sh**; my resume is right here. This is what I've been doing. This is how long I've been around the game. But when you go to interviews, they don't go the same for black and white. They never do in no office, not just basketball."
One of the longest-tenured assistant coaches
Regarding work experience, Cassell's resume is second to none. He is one of the longest-tenured assistant coaches in the NBA today. The former Houston Rockets guard began his coaching career immediately after his retirement in 2009. He has been a bench deputy for the Washington Wizards, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Boston Celtics.
Cassell also won three NBA championships as a player. He was a vital cog for the 1994 and 1995 Rockets title teams and was part of the Celtics' 2008 championship run. This season, he won his first ring as a bench tactician as a part of Joe Mazzulla's coaching staff in Boston.
"I just think it's making it hard for him, but you know, that's nothing new. He's not the first, and he's not the last. It happens. It's been going on for a long time. I think Sam is going to continue what he gotta do until the opportunity comes. If it doesn't come, I think it will be fu**** up, but I think Sam will continue to be a professional, continue to be one of the best assistant coaches he can, and stay as long as he can," added Jackson.
Big Perk thinks Sam pissed on someone's cereal
While Jackson thinks that it's about the narrative that Cassell doesn't do well in interviews and the accompanying racial bias, Sam's former teammate Kendrick Perkins theorizes that Cassell could be black-balled because he may have " pissed in someone's cereal ."
"I don't know," a puzzled Perkins said . "Like, the crazy thing is that he's not even getting interviews. What's the problem? I mean, he did 15 years as an assistant and won four NBA championships - three as a player and one as a coach. I mean, he's been under the shadows and grew up from a lot of great coaches, and you know he's not getting certain interviews for jobs. Like, what's going on?"
With the Celtics winning the 2024 NBA title in Sam's first season, it looks like he will stay there for now. Boston is reportedly looking to promote Cassell, likely as a lead assistant coach, after the Charlotte Hornets hired Charles Lee. That's good news, but the better one would be hearing the Baltimore native finally get that long-overdue head coaching job.
Related: Gilbert Arenas on why Sam Cassell is a good fit as Pistons head coach: "They need a coach who can talk it and walk it a little bit"
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