Dallas Mavericks: Rick Carlisle put on a show during his playing days

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle put on a show during his playing days

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has seen it all on a basketball court. He was a high school standout in New York before starting his college career at Maine. Carlisle transferred to the University of Virginia for his final two seasons where he was a starting wing. The 6’5 guard was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1984. Carlisle played five seasons in the NBA including winning a championship with Boston in 1986.

He stopped playing in 1990 and immediately transitioned to coaching. Carlisle was an assistant with the Nets for five seasons before going to Portland as an assistant for three more. He joined the Pacers in 1997 where he spent three years as an assistant before the Pistons gave him his first crack as a head coach. Carlisle won Coach of the Year in 2002 and led Detroit to the Eastern Conference Finals. He had a stint in Indiana as head coach before joining the Mavericks. Carlisle was the head man of Dallas’ 2011 championship team. His teams have qualified for the playoffs in 13 of his 18 years as head coach.

The Mavs head man celebrated his 61st birthday on Oct. 27. To honor the occasion, let us take a look back at some highlights from Carlisle’s playing days.

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Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle can play

The NBA posted a video of Carlisle’s best plays in 2014. Fans can check it out below.

He made an incredible shot over Hall of Famer James Worthy in the video. The Mavericks coach had a less than flattering cameo in The Last Dance, but he certainly has game.

Hopefully, coach Carlisle enjoyed his birthday on Tuesday. The Mavs are hoping to give him a few new weapons to work with when the transaction moratorium is lifted. Fans know they want to jump into title contention in 2021. Stay tuned to see how it all plays out.