Maybe in high school, or college, but definitely not in the NBA and I believe the reason has to be money, ethnicity, and just plain ignorance. The reason I say this is because at the high school or collegiate level, the players are playing for fun, feeling that the can learn something from the black coaches at these levels but in the pros it's not a game anymore, it's strictly business and like most businesses, the black leaders are looked upon as mere "tokens" put in place so that they can be bought down by their own people. Maurice Cheeks never had a chance in Portland because the organization traded away the players that made them contenders and left him with a bunch of egotistical misfits that don't understand the concept of team ball

In Cleveland, Whew! Did you ever here of Eric Snow woofin’ at Larry Brown? There's your answer to the topic right there. We should ask Johnny Davis, Lenny Wilkins Mo Cheeks, Don Cheney, Fred Carter, Randy Ayers, Paul Silas Michael Cooper, Alvin Gentry, Byron Scott and soon Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell and Eddie Jordan, should the Wizards start losing. No black coach will get any respect from black players unless he snaps out and the players fear him. Peace out, EARLY
--Murielclarke1

Life, doesn't change, the masses have fought hard to have a black coach only to have the old slave mentality to raise its ugly head. If the white man tells these brothers something then it must be right, after all they're white. Why do you think so many brothers are still chasing after white women? It's that American dream, not to appear to be supporting anyone black, no matter how good of a job they do. They don't think too much of themselves so how can they support a strong black man?
--Councilcrawley

It definitely raises an interesting point but consider a few more factors in the equation. First, I think that regardless of the system, younger players do not respond to coaching the way they used to. Given that many of the elite players in the league don't have a college degree and spent anywhere from zero to two years in college, no one has ever been coached. Their talents are so great and athletic ability so raw that their high school coaches just let them fly up and down the court. Their college coaches (if they have one) do the same and for the most part they are successful.

Yet, when a 19 year old gets to the league and is told to go out and party but be ready for a nine o'clock practice, it seems very foreign to these young players. It’s difficult for them then to adapt to a Larry Brown system of unselfish play and giving up the rock or to have the acumen to withstand the complexities of the triangle offense. Their whole lives they have been told to run, jump and shoot. (See Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Kwame Brown).

Secondly, the culture plays an important part as well. The majority of the white men in their lives, they have had no other option to listen to, juxtaposed to that, the majority of black men in their lives they have had to compete against. Whether it’s a priest at the Archbishop Sonny's High School, the recruiter that came to their home, their agent or whomever, the white men have held significant power in their day to day lives. These athletes on the other hand see black men on the court not as father figures or bosses but equals that they can swindle, cajole and out play on the court. For the black men who read this, how many men outside of your family (that you know personally) would you take advice and counsel from? I can only name one and that is because he is a Congressman. Nonetheless, from my father to employees, I would be hard-pressed to find examples of African Americans who are at arms length to talk to about the issues that these young men go through

Lastly, it is the outside world. Black coaches are the first fired and the last hired. (See Tyrone Willingham). If there is not immediate success then it is off with their head. If there is immediate success, then they should keep on succeeding. The media (see Boston) is quick to jump on a black coach if success is not forthcoming. It’s hard to respect your boss when they don't have job security.

These factors explain why black coaches are not given the respect they deserve. Mo Cheeks had a bunch of young thugs who fit the pattern in my second and third points. He was not given proper talent. What about in the college ranks? Coach Cheney does something that every coach does in America. I have done it on the court myself. Some pretty boy starts to show off, you got put a guy on his butt a couple of times. His resignation is called for, yet Coach Knight is given warning after warning after warning. Once again it’s hard to respect someone with no job security.
--Maurice Frazier

The question should be: "Do Black players dis-respect black head coaches more so than white head coaches?"

Well, the answers to the following questions will answer the initial question, which should clearly let you know:

1) Are most black people ashamed of being black? 2) Do far too many black people go beyond being ashamed of their blackness, but even go as far as to hate being black? 3) Do far too many of our black brothers and sisters have extremely high levels of low self-esteem, and a lack of self confidence? 4) Have most black people bought into the brainwashing that blackness equates to inferiority, ignorance, and negativity? 5) And finally, are most black people in the U.S. under the supervision of whites for the majority of their lives? (e.g. white school teachers/college professors, white supervisors in the workplace, white wardens/police officers)

The answer to the above five questions IMHO... ABSOLUTELY!!!
--Eric Brooks

Being a good coach is not the same as being a successful coach. I think that Doc River has shown good coaching tools. He’s only had some success lately with the Celtics. He was blown out of Orlando for reasons not his fault. This happens to white coaches all the time too. I don't think K. C. Jones was a great coach, but he was a very successful coach with the Celtics. There are a lot of reasons why coaches are successful, and not all are factors within their control. Don't let success be the only marker to who is a good coach. I said all of this to make a point: Coaching is a comprehensive profession complied of many factors. Black coaches have to deal with all of this and more (being stigmatized as a black coach). They will turn on you sooner. The players, management, fans, the media, and the slave mentality effects of the black players means that they will turn on you sooner. You can overcome this, but you can get caught up in this very easily.
--G23YOU05

It is my opinion that black basketball coaches get less respect from black players than white coaches. This is due to what I consider a deeply ingrained and in most cases a subconscious resentment of blacks, in general, in authority. Black coaches will have no respect problem with non-black players, however, since the preponderant number of NBA players are black, a crisis situation exists. You are never going to get a 100% performance from a black player, if you’re a black coach. Look at Coach Silas in Cleveland.
--Phil Martin

They don’t respect black coaches. It’s hard to explain, but most blacks think and feel like they are still in slave times. They respect and obey the white authority and give hell to the black.
--DDPR

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