Kevin Loughery
Encyclopedia
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball
player and coach.
(1962–1973), almost nine of them with the Baltimore Bullets
. He became player-coach
of the Philadelphia 76ers
in 1973, when the team had a 4–47 record, replacing Roy Rubin
. The team slightly improved under Loughery, posting a 5–26 record for the remainder of the season. Following the season, Loughery was replaced by Gene Shue
.
After that disastrous season, Loughery retired as a player and became head coach of the American Basketball Association
's New York Nets the following season. With superstar Julius Erving
, Loughery won two ABA championships in three seasons. After the ABA disbanded and the Nets joined the NBA, Loughery continued to coach the Nets for their first five seasons in the league. The team would struggle in their first couple of seasons without Erving, whose contract was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers
due to financial struggles. The team would also move to New Jersey
and become the New Jersey Nets
. He was fired midway through the 1980–81 season and replaced by Bob MacKinnon
.
Loughery was hired by the Atlanta Hawks
the very next season and he guided them to two straight playoff appearances, including one with rookie Dominique Wilkins
. He was fired once again after the 1982–83 season and replaced by Mike Fratello
.
The next two seasons, Loughery coached the Chicago Bulls
. In his second season with rookie Michael Jordan
, the Bulls made the playoffs. In the book The Jordan Rules Michael was quoted as saying that Loughery was the most fun coach he ever played for and that Loughery allowed him to free-lance and play the style he wanted.
Loughery went to the Washington Bullets
the next season as an assistant to Gene Shue
. When Shue was fired with 13 games left in the 1985–86 season, Loughery guided the team to the playoffs and once again the next season. The Bullets got off to a bad start in 1987–88 and Loughery was fired once again.
After working in broadcasting, Loughery was hired by the Miami Heat
as their second coach three years after they joined the league as an expansion team. Loughery guided the Heat to their first ever playoff appearance and again in 1993–94.
| align="left" |PHI
| align="left" |
|31||5||26||.161|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYN
| align="left" |
|82||22||60||.268|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||37||45||.451|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|35||12||23||.343|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |2nd in Central||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |2nd in Central||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |CHI
| align="left" |
|82||27||55||.329|| align="center" |5th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |CHI
| align="left" |
|82||38||44||.463|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |WSH
| align="left" |
|13||7||6||.538|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |WSH
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |WSH
| align="left" |
|27||8||19||.296|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|82||38||44||.463|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|82||36||46||.439|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|46||17||29||.370|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1136||474||662||.417|| ||27||6||21||.222
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and coach.
Career Biography
Loughery spent 11 seasons in the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(1962–1973), almost nine of them with the Baltimore Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He became player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
of the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in 1973, when the team had a 4–47 record, replacing Roy Rubin
Roy Rubin
Roy Rubin is a former college and professional basketball coach.He coached the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers — the worst team in the history of the NBA — for the first 51 games of the season, after which he was fired and replaced with Kevin Loughery...
. The team slightly improved under Loughery, posting a 5–26 record for the remainder of the season. Following the season, Loughery was replaced by Gene Shue
Gene Shue
Eugene William "Gene" Shue is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association . During his playing days he was a 6'2" 170 lb guard....
.
After that disastrous season, Loughery retired as a player and became head coach of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's New York Nets the following season. With superstar Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, Loughery won two ABA championships in three seasons. After the ABA disbanded and the Nets joined the NBA, Loughery continued to coach the Nets for their first five seasons in the league. The team would struggle in their first couple of seasons without Erving, whose contract was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
due to financial struggles. The team would also move to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and become the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He was fired midway through the 1980–81 season and replaced by Bob MacKinnon
Bob MacKinnon
Bob MacKinnon is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball coach. He coached three different professional teams in his career; the American Basketball Association's Spirits of St. Louis, and the NBA's Buffalo Braves and New Jersey Nets...
.
Loughery was hired by the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
the very next season and he guided them to two straight playoff appearances, including one with rookie Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
. He was fired once again after the 1982–83 season and replaced by Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
.
The next two seasons, Loughery coached the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. In his second season with rookie Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, the Bulls made the playoffs. In the book The Jordan Rules Michael was quoted as saying that Loughery was the most fun coach he ever played for and that Loughery allowed him to free-lance and play the style he wanted.
Loughery went to the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
the next season as an assistant to Gene Shue
Gene Shue
Eugene William "Gene" Shue is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association . During his playing days he was a 6'2" 170 lb guard....
. When Shue was fired with 13 games left in the 1985–86 season, Loughery guided the team to the playoffs and once again the next season. The Bullets got off to a bad start in 1987–88 and Loughery was fired once again.
After working in broadcasting, Loughery was hired by the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
as their second coach three years after they joined the league as an expansion team. Loughery guided the Heat to their first ever playoff appearance and again in 1993–94.
NBA
|-| align="left" |PHI
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
| align="left" |
|31||5||26||.161|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYN
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||22||60||.268|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||37||45||.451|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1979 NBA Playoffs
The 1979 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1978-1979 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets four games to one in the Finals. The Sonics...
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|82||34||48||.415|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJN
| align="left" |
|35||12||23||.343|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |ATL
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |2nd in Central||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1982 NBA Playoffs
The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |2nd in Central||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1983 NBA Playoffs
The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...
|-
| align="left" |CHI
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
| align="left" |
|82||27||55||.329|| align="center" |5th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |CHI
| align="left" |
|82||38||44||.463|| align="center" |3rd in Central||4||1||3||.250
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |WSH
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| align="left" |
|13||7||6||.538|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1986 NBA Playoffs
The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
|-
| align="left" |WSH
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1987 NBA Playoffs
The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
|-
| align="left" |WSH
| align="left" |
|27||8||19||.296|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |MIA
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
| align="left" |
|82||38||44||.463|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|82||36||46||.439|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|82||42||40||.512|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |MIA
| align="left" |
|46||17||29||.370|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||1136||474||662||.417|| ||27||6||21||.222