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Lionel Hollins

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Lionel Hollins
Hollins in Vancouver during a 2010 pre-season game.
Personal information
Born (1953-10-19) October 19, 1953 (age 71)
Arkansas City, Kansas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolRancho (North Las Vegas, Nevada)
College
NBA draft1975: 1st round, 6th overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career1975–1985
PositionPoint guard
Number14, 9
Coaching career1985–present
Career history
As player:
1975–1980Portland Trail Blazers
1980–1982Philadelphia 76ers
1982–1983San Diego Clippers
1983–1984Detroit Pistons
1984–1985Houston Rockets
As coach:
1985–1988Arizona State (assistant)
1988–1995Phoenix Suns (assistant)
1995–1999Vancouver Grizzlies (assistant)
1999–2000Vancouver Grizzlies (interim)
2000–2001Las Vegas Silver Bandits
2002Saint Louis Skyhawks
2002–2007Memphis Grizzlies (assistant)
2004Memphis Grizzlies (interim)
2008–2009Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)
2009–2013Memphis Grizzlies
2014–2016Brooklyn Nets
2019–2021Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)
2022–2023Houston Rockets (assistant)
Career highlights and awards

As assistant coach:

Career statistics
Points7,809 (11.6 ppg)
Assists3,006 (4.5 apg)
Steals1,053 (1.6 spg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Lionel Eugene Hollins (born October 19, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Hollins played for the Portland Trail Blazers, winning an NBA championship in 1977 and named an NBA All-Star in 1978. The Trail Blazers retired his No. 14.

Playing career

[edit]
Hollins was a key member of the Trail Blazers' 1976–77 championship team.

During his ten-year NBA career playing as a point guard he played for five teams, averaging 11.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. In 1974 Lionel suffered a serious injury from a moped crash when a bicyclist collided. Fortunately this did not affect his career, but ultimately his left pinky and ring finger never healed correctly.

Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth pick of the 1975 NBA draft out of Arizona State University, Hollins was bestowed All-Rookie first team honors that season, averaging 10.8 points in 78 games for the Blazers. Prior to his two seasons at Arizona State, he played two years[1] at Dixie College in St. George, Utah.[2]

He graduated from Arizona State University in 1986 with a degree in sociology.

He was a member of Trail Blazers' 1976–77 championship team, and made his only All-Star Game appearance one year later. He was a member of the NBA All-Defensive team twice, in 1978 and 1979.

On April 18, 2007, the Portland Trail Blazers retired his #14 jersey.

Coaching career

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After retiring as a player, Hollins returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach at Arizona State in 1985, and stayed until 1988,[1] when Cotton Fitzsimmons brought him on to his new staff with the Phoenix Suns.

In his first season with Phoenix, the Suns saw a 27-game improvement from their previous year, as they advanced to the Western Conference Finals and Fitzsimmons was named Coach of the Year. Kevin Johnson, who won Most Improved Player that season, credited Hollins with his development into one of the all-time great Suns players.[3]

Hollins assistant coach tenure was during arguably the most successful time period for the Suns; joining a team that had missed the playoffs three straight years, the Suns exceeded 53 wins and only failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs once in his seven seasons there. His run in Phoenix was highlighted by a 62–20 season in 1992–93, led by new head coach Paul Westphal and league MVP Charles Barkley, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance where they would lose to the Chicago Bulls.

In 1995, Hollins was named to the inaugural coaching staff of the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies. On December 16, 1999, Hollins was named interim coach of the Grizzlies following the midseason firing of Brian Hill.[4] Despite popularity with the players,[5] Hollins was not retained as coach at season's end. Though not a full season and on an interim basis, this was the first of three different stints for Hollins as Grizzlies coach.

In 2000, Hollins served as head coach the Las Vegas Silver Bandits of the International Basketball League (IBL) in the league's second season. Despite the second best record in the IBL at 20–11 at the time, on March 13, 2001, the Bandits folded[6] (and following the conclusion of the 2000–01 season, the IBL did too).

Hollins next served as an assistant coach for the Harlem Globetrotters during their 2001 Fall College Exhibition Series. He served as head coach for the St. Louis SkyHawks of the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 2002.[7]

In 2002, Hollins returned to the Grizzlies as an assistant coach, though the team was now located in Memphis. He served in this role until 2007, including a four-game stint as interim coach in 2004. On May 14, 2008, Hollins was hired as one of Milwaukee Bucks head coach Scott Skiles' assistants.[8]

On January 25, 2009, Hollins was named the Grizzlies' head coach; this would be his third time as the Grizzlies' head coach, but the first time that was not on an interim basis.[9] With the Grizzlies were coming off consecutive 22–60 seasons, Hollins focused on retooling the roster with players who play his "hard nosed" style, ushering in what would be known as the "Grit and Grind" era.

His first move as coach was moving Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to the starting lineup. In his first offseason, Memphis would acquire Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, both of whom Hollins saw as perfect fits for his brand of basketball. All four players would enjoy successful runs in Memphis.

On February 11, 2011, Hollins won his 100th career victory, as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, in an 89–86 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.[10] That season, he led his team to a 46–36 record, earning the eighth seed in the playoffs. The Grizzlies defeated the number-one seed San Antonio Spurs, earning their first playoff series win in franchise history and becoming just the fourth eighth seed in league history to win a playoffs series against a number one seed. They would lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.

In the lockout-shortened 2011–12 NBA season, Hollins' Grizzlies finished the season with a 41–25 record and the best winning percentage in franchise history (.621). After guiding the Grizzlies to a 13–3 record during the month of April, Hollins was named April's Coach of the Month.[11] This streak helped the Grizzlies earn the four seed in the Western Conference, with home court advantage for the first time in franchise history. They lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.

In 2012–2013, Hollins led Memphis to a franchise record 56-win season, breaking the winning percentage record they had set the previous season (now at .683). Marc Gasol was named Defensive Player of the Year as the Grizzlies held opponents to 89.3 points per game.[12]

The Grizzlies avenged the previous playoffs and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the first round. In the second round, they defeated the top-seeded and defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. Though attributed to Oklahoma City being without superstar point guard Russell Westbrook for the series, Memphis advanced to their first conference finals in team history. However, a four-game sweep to the experienced San Antonio Spurs ended the Grizzlies' season and playoff run.

It was announced that Hollins' contract would not be renewed by the team on June 10, 2013. He stands as the Grizzlies' most successful coach, having improved the team's record almost every season. He led them to three straight playoff appearances, their first playoff win, a franchise best .683 winning percentage, and the first playoff series victory in franchise history.[13] As of 2024, the Grizzlies have not been back to the conference finals since Hollins departure.

On July 2, 2014, Hollins and the Brooklyn Nets reached an agreement for him to serve as the team's head coach for the next four seasons.[14][15] On July 7, 2014, he was officially introduced by the Nets at a press conference.[16] In his first season as head coach, he guided the Nets to the playoffs. On January 10, 2016, he was relieved of his head coaching duties by the Nets after starting the 2015–16 season with a 10–27 record.[17]

On July 31, 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Hollins as an assistant coach.[18][19] Hollins won his 2nd championship on October 11, 2020, when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals in 6 games.

On July 3, 2022, the Houston Rockets hired Hollins as an assistant coach.[20]

Personal life

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Hollins's son, Austin Hollins, played college basketball for the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team.[21] His son has also played professionally in the EuroLeague.

His other son, Anthony, played Division III basketball for the at-the-time top-ranked team in the country, Washington University in St. Louis Bears. He's now an orthopedic surgeon.

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975–76 Portland 74 25.6 .421 – .721 2.4 4.1 1.8 .4 10.8
1976–77† Portland 76 29.3 .432 – .749 2.8 4.1 2.2 .5 14.7
1977–78 Portland 81 33.8 .442 – .743 3.4 4.7 1.9 .4 15.9
1978–79 Portland 64 30.7 .454 – .778 2.3 5.1 1.8 .4 15.3
1979–80 Portland 20 20.7 .385 .100 .642 1.0 2.5 1.5 .1 10.0
1979–80 Philadelphia 27 29.5 .415 .200 .770 2.6 4.1 1.7 .3 12.2
1980–81 Philadelphia 82 26.3 .470 .133 .731 2.3 4.3 1.3 .2 9.5
1981–82 Philadelphia 81 81 27.9 .477 .125 .702 2.3 3.9 1.3 .2 11.0
1982–83 San Diego 56 54 32.9 .437 .143 .721 2.3 6.7 2.0 .3 13.5
1983–84 Detroit 32 0 6.8 .381 .000 .846 .7 1.9 .4 .0 1.8
1984–85 Houston 80 60 24.4 .461 .231 .794 2.2 5.2 1.0 .1 7.6
Career 673 27.4 .444 .149 .741 2.4 4.5 1.6 .3 11.6
All-Star 1 0 23.0 .375 – .800 .0 8.0 2.0 .0 10.0

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1977† Portland 19 — 35.9 .417 – .682 2.7 4.5 2.5 .3 17.3
1978 Portland 6 — 37.2 .449 – .690 4.8 5.5 1.2 .0 16.7
1979 Portland 3 — 22.0 .308 – .714 1.0 1.7 1.0 .0 7.0
1980 Philadelphia 18 — 34.3 .416 .000 .794 3.9 6.3 1.5 .2 13.8
1981 Philadelphia 16 — 30.6 .441 .000 .784 2.1 4.1 1.1 .1 10.2
1982 Philadelphia 8 — 14.3 .306 .000 .667 1.1 3.1 1.1 .1 4.3
1984 Detroit 2 — 3.0 .000 – – .0 .0 .0 .5 .0
1985 Houston 5 1 18.8 .308 – 1.000 1.8 3.6 .8 .0 3.4
Career 77 — 29.8 .411 .000 .733 2.7 4.5 1.5 .1 11.8

Head coaching record

[edit]
Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Vancouver 1999–00 60 18 42 .300 7th in Midwest — — — — Missed Playoffs
Memphis 2004–05 4 0 4 .000 — — — — — —
Memphis 2008–09 39 13 26 .333 5th in Southwest — — — — Missed Playoffs
Memphis 2009–10 82 40 42 .488 4th in Southwest — — — — Missed Playoffs
Memphis 2010–11 82 46 36 .561 4th in Southwest 13 7 6 .538 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Memphis 2011–12 66 41 25 .621 2nd in Southwest 7 3 4 .429 Lost in First round
Memphis 2012–13 82 56 26 .683 2nd in Southwest 15 8 7 .533 Lost in Conf. Finals
Brooklyn 2014–15 82 38 44 .463 3rd in Atlantic 6 2 4 .333 Lost in First round
Brooklyn 2015–16 37 10 27 .270 (fired) — — — — —
Career 534 262 272 .491 41 20 21 .488

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Men's Hoops To Induct Lionel Hollins Into Pac-10 Hall Of Honor - Arizona State University Official Athletic Site Archived May 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "ESPN Classic - Classic catches up with Lionel Hollins". ESPN.
  3. ^ "A wide-ranging Q&A with Suns great Kevin Johnson". AZ Central. April 22, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "Grizzlies Fire Coach Hill". cbsnews.com. December 16, 1999.
  5. ^ "Grizzlies Slip By Clippers". cbsnews.com. December 19, 1999.
  6. ^ "Another one bites the dust". lasvegassun.com. March 14, 2001.
  7. ^ "USBL Team Previews". The Post-Star. Glen Falls, New York. April 19, 2002. p. 20. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  8. ^ "Former Bulls coach Boylan joins Skiles' Bucks staff". ESPN.com. May 14, 2008.
  9. ^ "Hollins to become Grizzlies coach for third time". ESPN.com. January 24, 2009.
  10. ^ "Bucks vs. Grizzlies - Game Recap - February 11, 2011 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012.
  11. ^ "Lionel Hollins named Western Conference Coach of the Month - Memphis Grizzlies". nba.com.
  12. ^ "Team Season Finder".
  13. ^ "Grizzlies will not offer Lionel Hollins a new contract - Memphis Grizzlies". nba.com.
  14. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Reach Agreement in Principle with Lionel Hollins". web.archive.com. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  15. ^ "Nets Agree To Four-Year Deal With Lionel Hollins". realgm.com.
  16. ^ "New coach Hollins calls Nets job 'a miracle'". ESPN.com. July 7, 2014.
  17. ^ "Nets Part Ways With Head Coach Lionel Hollins". NBA.com. January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  18. ^ "Lakers Announce 2019-20 Coaching Staff". NBA.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  19. ^ "Lakers make it official, add Jason Kidd to coaching staff". NBA.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  20. ^ "Rockets hire Lionel Hollins, Mike Batiste, Abdelfattah as coaches". rocketswire.usatoday.com. July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  21. ^ Virginia Tech basketball: Hokies face first true road game at Minnesota - Hokies Journal - The Washington Post
[edit]
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