Monty Williams of Suns to coach Team LeBron in 2022 NBA All-Star Game
Team LeBron will be coached by Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will be broadcast live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States at 8 p.m. ET. Phoenix (40-9,.816) defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 tonight to clinch the Western Conferences’ best record through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6. As a result, Williams has been named as a head coach for the first time in the NBA All-Star Game. He will be the Suns’ first NBA All-Star Game coach since Mike D’Antoni in 2006-07.
The Suns coaching staff will work the NBA All-Star Game for the fifth time in franchise history, joining 1981 (John MacLeod), 1993 (Paul Westphal), 1995 (Westphal), and 2007 (Mike D’Antoni). All but two of the Suns’ coaches will be participating in their first All-Star game, as Randy Ayers (Philadelphia in 2001) and Mark Bryant (Oklahoma City in 2012 and 2014) have previously served on All-Star coaching staffs.
The Suns have the best record in the NBA this season and are off to the best start in franchise history through the first 49 games of a season under Williams. Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 games in a row from Oct. 30 to Dec. 2 and is currently on a 10-game winning streak. Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for October/November games.
Williams is in his third season as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Last season, he led the Suns to a 51-21 record and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1992-93. Williams previously spent five seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans.
Each NBA All-Star Game head coach will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Williams will be the head coach of the All-Star team, which will be led by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
The eligible head coach of the Eastern Conference team with the best record through games played on Feb. 6 will coach the All-Star team led by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Doc Rivers, head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, is ineligible because he served as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game last season.
