Assistant coaches program helps former players become future coaches
The NBA's Assistant Coaches Program has helped more than 200 former players with potential coaching careers since its inception in 1988.
Brian Martin, for NBA.com
December 19, 2020 9:25 PM
Former NBA standout Mike Bibby is also a product of the league’s Assistant Coaches Program.
In March 2020, Vince Carter took (and made) his last shot as an NBA player, concluding the longest career in league history at a record 22 seasons. The 43-year-old known as “Half Man, Half Amazing” had spent more than half of his life as a professional basketball player.
While Carter was fortunate enough to play for more than two decades, most NBA careers are much shorter, with an average hovering around five-to-seven years, which means more “life after basketball” to prepare for than basketball to be played. For Carter, he took the media route, signing a multi-year contract with ESPN to serve as an NBA and college basketball analyst.