Can we give some love to Chris Finch?
Posted: Fri May 9, 2025 11:10 pm
Finch started his head coaching career in England, with the Sheffield Sharks of the British Basketball League, the same team he had played on during his pro career. He led them to several titles, making the franchise the most successful in league history. After winning the regular season title with Sheffield in the 1998–99 season, he was named the BBL Coach of the Year.
Finch then moved to Germany, where he was the head coach of the Giessen 46ers in the German Basketball Bundesliga. The team had a 4–13 record and was on the verge of relegation, and Finch was fired.
In 2007, Finch moved to Euphony Bree's Belgian Basketball League rival, Dexia Mons-Hainaut, bringing several players with him and his assistant coach Johan Roijakkers. With Finch in charge, Dexia Mons-Hainaut reached the final of the EuroChallenge 2007–08, where it lost to BK Barons Riga by one point.[7]
In 2009, Finch became the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. Under Finch, the Vipers went 34–16, finishing first in the Western Conference, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Vipers beat both Reno and Austin in three games, and swept Tulsa in the finals to earn the franchise's first championship. Finch was named the D-League Coach of Year.[8]
On July 14, 2011, the Houston Rockets hired Finch as an assistant coach.[9] After Kevin McHale was fired in 2015 and J. B. Bickerstaff replaced him on an interim basis, Finch was named associate head coach
September 14, 2016, the Denver Nuggets hired Finch as an assistant coach alongside Michael Malone.
On June 6, 2017, the New Orleans Pelicans hired Finch as an assistant coach alongside Alvin Gentry.[12] On November 16, 2020, Finch was not retained by the Pelicans.[13]
On December 4, 2020, Finch was officially announced as a new member of the coaching staff for the Toronto Raptors, where he served as assistant coach to Nick Nurse, who had served under him at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
On February 22, 2021, the Minnesota Timberwolves named Finch the team's new head coach.[15][16] In his first full season, he led the Timberwolves to a 46–36 finish and their first playoff berth since 2018. He received four 3rd-place votes for 2021–22 NBA Coach of the Year.[17] On April 11, 2022, he signed a multi-year extension.[18]
On February 4, 2024, he was named the head coach of the Western Conference at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.[19] On April 21, 2024, Finch was named a top three finalist for NBA Coach of the Year. With 1:41 remaining in Game 4 of the Timberwolves' 2024 first-round series victory over the Phoenix Suns, Finch suffered a patellar tendon rupture after Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. collided with him. Conley was fouled and forced into Finch by Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Assistant coach Micah Nori took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the game.[20]
Finch then led the Timberwolves to the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, overcoming a 20-point deficit to beat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. They went on to fall to the Dallas Mavericks 4 to 1 in the Western Conference Finals.[21] On June 24, 2024, he signed a multi-year extension.
Finch then moved to Germany, where he was the head coach of the Giessen 46ers in the German Basketball Bundesliga. The team had a 4–13 record and was on the verge of relegation, and Finch was fired.
In 2007, Finch moved to Euphony Bree's Belgian Basketball League rival, Dexia Mons-Hainaut, bringing several players with him and his assistant coach Johan Roijakkers. With Finch in charge, Dexia Mons-Hainaut reached the final of the EuroChallenge 2007–08, where it lost to BK Barons Riga by one point.[7]
In 2009, Finch became the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. Under Finch, the Vipers went 34–16, finishing first in the Western Conference, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Vipers beat both Reno and Austin in three games, and swept Tulsa in the finals to earn the franchise's first championship. Finch was named the D-League Coach of Year.[8]
On July 14, 2011, the Houston Rockets hired Finch as an assistant coach.[9] After Kevin McHale was fired in 2015 and J. B. Bickerstaff replaced him on an interim basis, Finch was named associate head coach
September 14, 2016, the Denver Nuggets hired Finch as an assistant coach alongside Michael Malone.
On June 6, 2017, the New Orleans Pelicans hired Finch as an assistant coach alongside Alvin Gentry.[12] On November 16, 2020, Finch was not retained by the Pelicans.[13]
On December 4, 2020, Finch was officially announced as a new member of the coaching staff for the Toronto Raptors, where he served as assistant coach to Nick Nurse, who had served under him at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
On February 22, 2021, the Minnesota Timberwolves named Finch the team's new head coach.[15][16] In his first full season, he led the Timberwolves to a 46–36 finish and their first playoff berth since 2018. He received four 3rd-place votes for 2021–22 NBA Coach of the Year.[17] On April 11, 2022, he signed a multi-year extension.[18]
On February 4, 2024, he was named the head coach of the Western Conference at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.[19] On April 21, 2024, Finch was named a top three finalist for NBA Coach of the Year. With 1:41 remaining in Game 4 of the Timberwolves' 2024 first-round series victory over the Phoenix Suns, Finch suffered a patellar tendon rupture after Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. collided with him. Conley was fouled and forced into Finch by Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Assistant coach Micah Nori took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the game.[20]
Finch then led the Timberwolves to the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, overcoming a 20-point deficit to beat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. They went on to fall to the Dallas Mavericks 4 to 1 in the Western Conference Finals.[21] On June 24, 2024, he signed a multi-year extension.
