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San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reacts during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the New York Knicks, Friday, June 5, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)<\/p>\n
Eric Gay\/AP Photo\/Eric Gay<\/p>\n
While pondering either the greatest NBA Finals game in history<\/a> or the sloppiest (you really shouldn\u2019t be limited to 30 points in a second half after you put up 76 in the first), I was wondering what it was like to be Mitch Johnson at the center of that storm Wednesday night.<\/p>\n Everywhere you look, either Larry David or Taylor Swift or Adam\u00a0Sandler or Spike Lee is jumping for joy, and you feel like the spotlight has never been brighter or more unforgiving. I think if Gregg Popovich is five years younger, this never happens to the Spurs, but who can say for sure?<\/p>\n It makes me think back to the Mavericks<\/a>\u2019 first\u00a0NBA Finals. Dallas clearly had the better talent as the regular season record illustrated. The Mavs won the first two games at home by double digits. Parades were discussed, if memory serves. Then the whole thing got away from Dallas and, in particular, from young coach Avery Johnson during a dreadful week in Miami<\/a>, back when the Finals had the 2-3-2 format.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Yes,\u00a0Dwyane Wade was really good, and he enjoyed his own parade to the foul line, but the difference in experience between Pat Riley and Avery Johnson in that series was tangible.<\/p>\n It all makes you wonder what the Mavericks are looking for in their next coach which \u2026 by the way, the Mavericks are still looking, correct<\/a>?<\/p>\n It has been three weeks since new\u00a0Mavs president Masai Ujiri made the decision (his and his alone, he said) to fire Jason Kidd and enter the world of coaching searches. Kidd was more unpopular than he deserved to be here, so it didn\u2019t exactly produce shock waves. Still, three weeks is enough time to find a coach, right? Or at least a list of candidates?<\/p>\n Dallas is one of three teams without a coach as we sit here 12 days before the\u00a0NBA draft<\/a>. Chicago at least has a list down to a reported four finalists \u2014 Tiago Splitter, Micah Nori, Ryan Schmidt and Wes Unseld Jr. Portland has talked with Jeff Van Gundy but seems to be taking its time, possibly because the new owner is more engaged with his other team right now, the Carolina Hurricanes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n