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George Karl says he wants to return to the NBA next season as a head coach. He says he would prefer to be in the Western Conference.
But Karl stopped short of saying Sunday he would be interested in the Denver
Nuggets position if the team elects not to bring back Jeff Bzdelik.
There has been speculation among NBA insiders that the Nuggets would be interested in Karl if Bzdelik is not retained. Not only does Karl have the 15th-best winning percentage in NBA history, he and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke have a business relationship, both being investors in a health club in Columbus, Ohio.
The New York Daily News touched upon Karl's possible future with Denver on Saturday.
NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence wrote, "Looking to return to coaching, George
Karl reportedly has his eye on three jobs: Denver (which is going to open),
Dallas (which may open) and Portland (which is not going to open)."
"I can't deny that I'd like to get back in," Karl said in a telephone
interview. "There's no question that I miss coaching."
Karl, 52, has been out of coaching since being fired by Milwaukee after the
2002-03 season and has been working as an ESPN analyst. Karl said he hasn't
spoken to any Denver officials about the job and that it would be "unfair"
to Bzdelik to speculate about his interest should the job become open.
"I think Jeff has done a good job," Karl said. "But I don't know
why they let me in go in Milwaukee. I don't know why Detroit let Rick Carlisle
go. I don't know why New Orleans let Paul Silas go. . . . Life isn't fair. The
coaching business is even more unfair."
The Nuggets have gone 38-37 under Bzdelik, a dramatic improvement over last
season's mark of 17-65 in his first season.
But the Nuggets have dropped 14 of their past 20 games and their playoff chances,
which once looked good, are now in doubt, fueling speculation about Bzdelik's
future.
The Nuggets hold an option on Bzdelik's contract for next season, worth about
$1.5 million. The Nuggets have until 30 days after the team's final game to
pick it up, and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe declined to speculate on what
the team might do.
"We're in a playoff fight right now, and we have a coach," said Vandeweghe,
when asked about speculation regarding Karl.
Asked if he considers such speculation a distraction to his team, Vandeweghe
said, "In the NBA, there's always speculation. We all have it. I don't
really worry about it. Jeff's a professional."
When asked if he had a comment, Bzdelik said, "No, I don't. I'm sure there's
going to be a lot of speculation."
Kroenke, who Wednesday declined to comment on Bzdelik's future, could not be
reached Sunday. Nuggets publicist Eric Sebastian said Kroenke would not comment.
Karl said he and Kroenke have been business partners for about seven years in
The Hoop Basketball & Fitness Center in Columbus. Karl said it's a six-court
basketball training center with a full weight room.
"Stan and I own a building together," Karl said. "He owns more
of it than I do. . . . I met him through an acquaintance. He's a huge basketball
junkie. I began seeing him over the years in (Las) Vegas and places for AAU
tournaments because his son and my son both play."
Kroenke's son, Josh Kroenke, was a senior this season at Missouri while Karl's
son, Cody Karl, was a redshirt freshman at Boise State in Idaho. In order to
see his son play, Karl said his preference next season is to coach in the West
because he'd like to be "an hour or two (by plane) from Boise."
Karl also is friendly with Vandewehge, and the two were together on a Hong Kong
exhibition tour in 1998. Karl said the only time he has talked with Kroenke
and Vandeweghe this season was when he was in Denver for a Nov. 14 ESPN game,
and there was no discussion about the Nuggets coaching job.
When asked if he believes Karl will be back in the NBA season next season with
some team, Vandeweghe said, "I have a lot of respect for him. He's a very
good coach. I would think so."
In 16 seasons with Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle and Milwaukee, Karl has
a record of 708-499, a percentage of .587. Karl led the SuperSonics to the 1996
NBA Finals.
"If I get back (into coaching), it would have to be a good situation,"
Karl said. "But I don't need a long- term contract. I can work with a team
if it's the right situation."
In his final season with the Bucks, Karl made $7 million. Karl acknowledged
he wouldn't expect a team to pay him that amount, but would seek to be paid
"whatever the marketplace" dictates is fair.