Everybody begins someplace.
Taylor Jenkins was one among Phoenix Suns former assistants to teach Mike Budenholzer six years earlier than Jenkins turned the crew’s coach. Memphis Grizzlies in 2019.
The No. 11 Suns (15-16) will host the primary of their four-game sequence in opposition to the Grizzlies (22-11) on Tuesday, New 12 months’s Eve, on the Footprint Middle at 7 p.m. The Grizzlies are No. 1 within the Western Convention. 2 crew.
At Suns observe Monday, Budenholzer had a fantastic response when requested if he is ever fascinated by his teaching tree that produced Jenkins, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham, Quin Snyder of the Atlanta Hawks, Charles Lee of the Charlotte Hornets and Kenny Atkinson, coach. of the East’s No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I wasn’t even positive I’d be capable of get out of the video room, so no,” Budenholzer mentioned.
Budenholzer started his NBA profession because the movie room video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs in 1994. He comes from the tree of the league’s all-time winningest coach, Gregg Popovich, who has produced profitable head coaches. That features Monty Williams with the Suns from 2019-23, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Jenkins, who started his teaching journey as an assistant coach for the Austin Spurs crew of the G Spurs League in 2008.
Budeholzer remained on Popovich’s employees from 1996 to 2013, till the Atlanta Hawks employed Budenholzer as head coach for the primary time. Jenkins, Ham, Snyder and Atkinson had been on Budenholzer’s employees in Atlanta through the first of his 5 years with the crew. Lee joined Budenholzer’s crew the next yr.
After Budenholzer and Atlanta parted methods in 2018, he was employed by Milwaukee and stayed there for 5 years. Jenkins and Ham, who returned to Milwaukee as an assistant coach this season, and Lee had been with Budenholzer the longest of his 5 protégés when Budenholzer was in Atlanta and Milwaukee.
“There’s at all times a sense of friendship and sharing seeing guys get to this place and compete with them,” Budenholzer mentioned. He continued with fun: “We in all probability went to teaching conferences and talked about every little thing. Now we are able to coach completely different groups and see who has the perfect argument.
After a sluggish 9-7 begin, the Grizzlies have since been one of many hottest groups within the league with a 13-4 report. The Suns had been the other going 4-8 in December, 7-16 since beginning the season 8-1.
Jenkins is 5-3 in opposition to Budenholzer as Memphis coach.
This text was initially printed on Arizona Republic: Suns coach talks to ex-protege Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies
