List of NBA All-Star Game head coaches

This is a list of NBA All-Star Game head coaches. The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is an annual basketball exhibition game held during the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season. For most of its history, the All-Star Game was played between the Western Conference All-Stars and the Eastern Conference All-Stars, where the head coach for each All- Star team was the coach of the NBA team with the best record from their respective conference. From the 2018 to the 2023 game, the format of the game was slightly altered. The starters and reserves were chosen as usual, but the two captains (one from each conference) draft their team from those starters and reserves. The coaches are also selected as usual, and matched with the captain from their respective conference.

To ensure that a different coach represents their conference each year, there is a rule against a head coach making a consecutive appearance. Instead, the coach with the next best record is selected. This rule is known as the "Riley Rule" and was introduced in the early 1990s after the dominance of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers team in the Western Conference, which was coached by Pat Riley.

Only Lenny Wilkens (SuperSonics, Cavaliers, and Hawks), Alex Hannum (Hawks, Warriors, and 76ers), and Doc Rivers (Celtics, 76ers, and Bucks) have represented three separate teams as the All-Star Game coach. Red Auerbach, the head coach for the Boston Celtics between 1950–1966, coached the most All-Star Games with 11 appearances.

Key

^Denotes coach who is currently coaching an NBA team
*Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach
*^Active NBA coach who has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Coach (X)Denotes the number of times the coach has been selected, up to and including that season

Western Division / Conference (1951–2017)

YearHead coachTeamRef.
1951John Kundla*Minneapolis Lakers[1]
1952John Kundla* (2)Minneapolis Lakers[2]
1953John Kundla* (3)Minneapolis Lakers[3]
1954John Kundla* (4)Minneapolis Lakers[4]
1955Charley EckmanFort Wayne Pistons[5]
1956Charley Eckman (2)Fort Wayne Pistons[6]
1957Bobby WanzerRochester Royals[7]
1958Alex Hannum*St. Louis Hawks[8]
1959Ed MacauleySt. Louis Hawks[9]
1960Ed Macauley (2)St. Louis Hawks[10]
1961Paul SeymourSt. Louis Hawks[11]
1962Fred SchausLos Angeles Lakers[12]
1963Fred Schaus (2)Los Angeles Lakers[13]
1964Fred Schaus (3)Los Angeles Lakers[14]
1965Alex Hannum* (2)San Francisco Warriors[15]
1966Fred Schaus (4)Los Angeles Lakers[16]
1967Fred Schaus (5)Los Angeles Lakers[17]
1968Bill Sharman*San Francisco Warriors[18]
1969Richie GuerinAtlanta Hawks[19]
1970Richie Guerin (2)Atlanta Hawks[20]
1971Larry CostelloMilwaukee Bucks[21]
1972Bill Sharman* (2)Los Angeles Lakers[22]
1973Bill Sharman* (3)Los Angeles Lakers[23]
1974Larry Costello (2)Milwaukee Bucks[24]
1975Al AttlesGolden State Warriors[25]
1976Al Attles (2)Golden State Warriors[26]
1977Larry Brown*Denver Nuggets[27]
1978Jack Ramsay*Portland Trail Blazers[28]
1979Lenny Wilkens*Seattle SuperSonics[29]
1980Lenny Wilkens* (2)Seattle SuperSonics[30]
1981John MacLeodPhoenix Suns[31]
1982Pat Riley*Los Angeles Lakers[32]
1983Pat Riley* (2)Los Angeles Lakers[33]
1984Frank LaydenUtah Jazz[34]
1985Pat Riley* (3)Los Angeles Lakers[35]
1986Pat Riley* (4)Los Angeles Lakers[36]
1987Pat Riley* (5)Los Angeles Lakers[37]
1988Pat Riley* (6)Los Angeles Lakers[38]
1989Pat Riley* (7)Los Angeles Lakers[39]
1990Pat Riley* (8)Los Angeles Lakers[40]
1991Rick Adelman*Portland Trail Blazers[41]
1992Don Nelson*Golden State Warriors[42]
1993Paul WestphalPhoenix Suns[43]
1994George Karl*Seattle SuperSonics[44]
1995Paul Westphal (2)Phoenix Suns[45]
1996George Karl* (2)Seattle SuperSonics[46]
1997Rudy Tomjanovich*Houston Rockets[47]
1998George Karl* (3)Seattle SuperSonics[48]
2000Phil Jackson* (3)Los Angeles Lakers[49]
2001Rick Adelman* (2)Sacramento Kings[50]
2002Don Nelson* (2)Dallas Mavericks[51]
2003Rick Adelman* (3)Sacramento Kings[52]
2004Flip SaundersMinnesota Timberwolves[53]
2005Gregg Popovich^*San Antonio Spurs[54]
2006Avery JohnsonDallas Mavericks[55]
2007Mike D'AntoniPhoenix Suns[56]
2008Byron Scott (2)New Orleans Hornets[57]
2009Phil Jackson* (4)Los Angeles Lakers[58]
2010George Karl* (4)Denver Nuggets[59]
2011Gregg Popovich^* (2)San Antonio Spurs[60]
2012Scott BrooksOklahoma City Thunder[61]
2013Gregg Popovich^* (3)San Antonio Spurs[62]
2014Scott Brooks (2)Oklahoma City Thunder[63]
2015Steve Kerr^Golden State Warriors[64]
2016

Gregg Popovich^* (4)

San Antonio Spurs[65]
2017Steve Kerr^ (2)Golden State Warriors[66]

Unconferenced format (2018–2023)

YearHead coachTeamAll-Star TeamRef.
2018Dwane CaseyToronto RaptorsTeam LeBron[67]
Mike D'Antoni (2)Houston RocketsTeam Steph
2019Mike Budenholzer (2)Milwaukee BucksTeam Giannis[68]
Michael Malone^Denver NuggetsTeam LeBron
2020Nick Nurse^Toronto RaptorsTeam Giannis[69]
Frank Vogel^ (2)Los Angeles LakersTeam LeBron
2021Doc Rivers^ (3)Philadelphia 76ersTeam Durant[70]
Quin Snyder^Utah JazzTeam LeBron
2022Monty Williams^Phoenix SunsTeam LeBron[71]
Erik Spoelstra^ (2)Miami HeatTeam Durant
2023Michael Malone^ (2)Denver NuggetsTeam LeBron[72]
Joe Mazzulla^Boston CelticsTeam Giannis

Western Conference (2024–present)

YearHead coachTeamRef.
2024Chris Finch^Minnesota Timberwolves[73]

Most selections

Head coach#Selections
Red Auerbach1119571967 (East)
Pat Riley919821983; 19851990 (West)
1993 (East)
K. C. Jones51975; 19841987 (East)
Fred Schaus519621964; 19661967 (West)
John Kundla419511954 (West)
Tom Heinsohn419721974; 1976 (East)
Billy Cunningham41978; 19801981; 1983 (East)
Lenny Wilkens419791980 (West)
1989; 1994 (East)
Phil Jackson41992; 1996 (East)
2000; 2009 (West)
George Karl41994; 1996; 1998; 2010 (West)
Gregg Popovich42005; 2011; 2013; 2016 (West)
Doc Rivers42008; 2011; 2024 (East)
2021 (Unconferenced)
Joe Lapchick31951; 19531954 (East)
Bill Sharman31968; 19721973 (West)
Alex Hannum31958; 1965 (West)
1968 (East)
Rick Adelman31991; 2001; 2003 (West)

Notes

References