George Karl
Inducted:
2022
Player Stats
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Born:
May 12, 1951
Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Position:
Point Guard
Coach
College:
North Carolina (1970–1973)
George Karl is a celebrated figure in basketball, known both for his playing days and especially his long, successful coaching career.
As a player, Karl spent five seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs (1973–1978), bringing grit and intelligence to the point guard position. However, his true legacy was built on the sidelines.
Karl coached over 1,999 regular-season NBA games across six teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.
He ranks among the all-time leaders in career coaching wins, becoming just the sixth coach in league history to surpass 1,000 victories. Known for his up-tempo offenses and player-first leadership style, Karl won NBA Coach of the Year in 2013 with the Nuggets.
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022, George Karl remains one of the NBA’s most influential coaching minds.
Karl's Awards and Records
- 22 Playoff appearances as head coach
- 2× CBA Coach of the Year (1981, 1983)
- FIBA Saporta Cup winner (1992)
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2022)
NBA Records
- 6th All-Time in Coaching Wins
- Most Regular Season Wins Without an NBA Championship
- Coached Over 1,999 NBA Games
- Only Coach to Lead 5 Different Teams to 50+ Wins in a Season
- Fastest Coach to Reach 1,000 Wins at the Time (by Games Coached)
- Most 50-Win Seasons with Different Franchises (Shared Record)
- NBA Coach of the Year (2013)
- 4× NBA All-Star Game head coach (1994, 1996, 1998, 2010)
NBA Teams
As Player
San Antonio Spurs (1973-1978)
As Coach
San Antonio Spurs (assistant) 1978–1980
Montana Golden Nuggets 1980–1983
Cleveland Cavaliers 1984–1986
Golden State Warriors 1986–1988
Albany Patroons 1988–1989
Real Madrid 1989–1990
Albany Patroons 1990–1991
Real Madrid 1991–1992
Seattle SuperSonics 1992–1998
Milwaukee Bucks 1998–2003
Denver Nuggets 2005–2013
Sacramento Kings 2015–2016
NBA draft:
1973: 4th round, 66th overall pick
New York Knicks
Numbers Worn:
22
NBA Stats
As Player
Team:
San Antonio Spurs
Games Played:
264
Points:
1,265 (4.8 PPG)
Assists:
1,142 (4.3 APG)
Rebounds:
412 (1.6 RPG)
As Coach
Coaching Tenure:
1984-2016
Game Coached:
1,999
Total Wins:
1,175
Total Losses:
824
Winning Percentage
.588
NBA Finals Appearances:
1
Coach of the Year:
2013