George Karl hasn’t had the greatest PR tour since retiring as an NBA coach in 2016. Hall-of-Fame forward Carmelo Anthony has been outspoken about Karl’s questionable coaching methods. Those sentiments were further validated by former Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins. Former Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman recently revealed more information about Karl’s true nature.
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When examining George Karl’s coaching career on paper, it appears he was quite successful. His head coaching career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1984-85 season, but he didn’t reach notoriety until joining the Seattle SuperSonics. Under his leadership, the Sonics recorded six consecutive seasons with 55+ wins, including an NBA Finals appearance in 1996.
Eventually, Karl landed in Sacramento, marking the final stop in his career. His two seasons with the Kings didn’t go nearly as well as his time in Seattle. A big reason had to do with his inability to land on the same page as the team’s best player, DeMarcus Cousins.
Their issues weren’t about coaching philosophy. In fact, Cousins admired Karl’s mind for the game; he had trouble with everything else.
“Incredible mind, he’s just the worst coach,” Cousins said on All The Smoke. “It’s just everything that comes with it.”
Unlike Karl, who has become extremely vocal about his grievances with players, Cousins doesn’t speak much about the details of his relationship with Karl. Lieberman doesn’t follow those same rules. She revealed some under-the-radar information involving the pair.
“There were two times in the locker room when [DeMarcus] tried to beat up George Karl,” Lieberman said on the 3s and Ones Podcast.
Usually, what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. It would be naive to think Cousins is the only player to physically challenge his coach. Although, on the more drastic side, Latrell Sprewell once choked the Golden State Warriors’ head coach during a practice. But it’s not abnormal for emotions to reach a boiling point in a team atmosphere.
Unfortunately for Cousins, coaches look out for one another. According to Lieberman, when word began to spread about what took place, that began the downfall of the four-time All-Star’s career.
“That’s why he’s not given a chance,” Lieberman proclaimed. “That coach’s circle is no joke.”
Of course, Lieberman was among that circle of coaches, but she didn’t use Cousins’ actions against him. She reasoned that she saw firsthand Karl’s horrible habits, including racism.
“I thought George was one of the most racist people. I sat in the meetings. It was unbelievable,” Lieberman declared.
It’s clear that Karl didn’t just lose the locker room in terms of his players but also his coaching staff with the Kings. It’s no wonder he was fired from the organization after only two seasons.
