NEW YORK (AP) – San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich will coach the NBA’s West All-Stars, though Golden State has the best record in the conference.
With the Warriors’ Steve Kerr ineligible because he coached last year, Popovich earned the nod as West coach for the fourth time.
The All-Star coaches are determined by the teams with the best records in each conference two weeks before the game, which is Feb. 14 in Toronto.
Luke Walton led the Warriors to a record-setting start before Kerr returned from back surgery last week. However, NBA rules state that all Walton’s victories earned on an interim basis actually go to Kerr, and league rules prevent coaches from participating in two consecutive All-Star games.
The league said recently it was reviewing its policy to determine if Walton would still be eligible for the All-Star spot, but announced Wednesday that it would be Popovich, who has won five NBA championships.
Popovich previously coached the West in 2005, 2011 and 2013.