Jerry Stackhouse discussed the impact of his two seasons coaching the Raptors 905, telling Frank Isola of The Athletic that his experienced in the D-League prepared him to take over at Vanderbilt.
Stackhouse's run included leading the Raptors 905 to a D-League title in 2017. Stackhouse was named the D-League coach of the year for that season.
“Coaching in the D-League was huge for me. There’s no way I’m here right now without it. A lot of people in college basketball don’t understand the G League. It’s a pro league...Having that experience I knew I was ready for the head coaching job in the NBA or in college," Stackhouse told Isola.
Stackhouse then revealed his pride in watching former D-League pupils Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell play in the NBA Finals.
Siakam was named the finals MVP of the title-winning Raptors 905 team.
“I felt like a proud papa watching that," Stackhouse said of Siakam's 32-point performance in game 1 of the NBA Finals.