'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hall of Fame coach George Karl continues to be quite active on X, formerly Twitter, when it comes to basketball. He hasn’t been on the bench since the 2015-16 season with the Sacramento Kings but hasn’t shied away in social media hoops conversation. Karl sometimes goes back and forth with players and fans, particularly those who support the LA Lakers.
The former Seattle SuperSonics coach recently tweeted a claim that had basketball fans buzzing:
“Winning a championship doesn’t make someone a special coach.
“And special coaches don’t always win championships.”
Trending
The assertion promptly attracted reactions:
“Buddy trying to give himself his own participation medal. Kobe wrecked you mentally”
@basketbllnews didn’t hold back:
“This is George Karl indirectly stating that he is better than Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Gregg Popovich, etc.”
One fan couldn’t resist trolling Karl:
“You are right yet you don’t fit into either category”
Another fan respectfully disagreed with the claim:
"Winning a championship is hard, and the coaches that have won deserve the utmost respect."
The coaches fans consider to be “special” have at least won one championship in the NBA.
Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, Red Auerbach, Chuck Daly, Steve Kerr, Larry Brown and a handful of others. Karl argued that Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan were special but couldn’t lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, a point that has its merits.
The reference to the late Kobe Bryant has to be about the LA Lakers’ dominance over George Karl when he coached the Denver Nuggets. As Denver’s coach, Karl went 0-3 in the playoffs against Bryant-led teams. The Nuggets were blanked in 2008 in the first round, lost 4-2 in the conference finals the next year and were eliminated 4-3 in 2012.
Karl guided the SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals, where he faced the legendary Phil Jackson’s Chicago Bulls. Lining up across Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Co. were Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and others. Some have said that it was Karl’s best job as an NBA coach after winning two games in the series.
George Karl is having fun trolling the Lakers fan base
After his post about “special coaches” not always winning championships received backlash from some LA Lakers fans, George Karl is having fun with them. And as he has gotten some nasty comments from them, he has relished the chance to take a jab at them from time to time.
Karl posted something that could only antagonize even more the fans he has been feuding with:
“I’m torn right now. Should I keep having fun upsetting the Lakers fan base or should I spend my time on more productive things than getting a mediocre team’s angry and hateful trolls all riled up?!”
The LA Lakers were eliminated over the past two years by the Denver Nuggets, and George Karl has been taking sly digs at LA Nation.
With the Nuggets dethroned by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl has received his fair share of trolling. It’s hilarious to see Laker diehards jumping on to another team’s success to get back at the coach.
As long as the Lakers struggle, George Karl will not likely stop trolling the franchise’s fans.
