So, let’s put aside the professional athletes on the court and take a look at one on the sideline. Luke Walton. If you do not know this name you will eventually hear it bounced around in sports conversations. He’s 35 years old and is in the midst of only his second season as an interim coach with the Warriors organization.
What’s the big deal?
Well, a couple of days into training camp this past summer, Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr called Walton and said he wouldn't be ready for the season. Walton instantly found out that he would be the interim coach for a still-undetermined time. Now 15 games into the season this young coach is about to lead his team to the record books against a team he once played for, the Lakers!
He won championships in 2009 and 2010 as a role player for the Lakers and earned $34 million in an 11-year playing career, nine with the team that drafted him 32nd overall in 2003.
Now only 12 years since he entered the league he’s about to eclipse these all-time sports win records:
1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs, 10-0
2006-07 Buffalo Sabres, 10-0
1982 Atlanta Braves, 13-0
1987 Milwaukee Brewers, 13-0
1948-49 Washington Capitols, 15-0
1993-94 Houston Rockets, 15-0
1972 Miami Dolphins, 17-0
2007 New England Patriots, 18-0
Ironically the opposing team on the court Nov. 24, holds the all-time pro basketball win-streak record:
1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers, 33 straight wins!
Some say coaching a championship team is easy, most if not all who say this have never done it. It's an easy job, right? Tell Stephen Curry to keep shooting threes. Same thing for Klay Thompson. Make sure Draymond Green remains one of the most versatile forward-centers in the game. And keep bringing valuable veteran Andre Iguodala off the bench.
Yeah right!
Coaches around the league admire how Walton has helped the Warriors out of some jams on the way to a 15-0 record. They had to beat Brooklyn in overtime. Had to overcome a 23-point deficit to beat the Clippers. Had to hold a late one-point lead over Toronto without the ball.
So, all talk is dead without action. Let’s go Warriors. Good luck and good shooting to the team. Coach Walton GETSOME! Let’s break all the records!!!
