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One time Spurs coach Stan Albeck passed away yesterday in San Antonio. Last night the Spurs honored their former leader with a moment of silence before their home game.
Spurs honored Coach Stan Albeck with a moment of silence prior to tonight’s game. RIP, Coach. pic.twitter.com/qqB6b0cYun
— Raul Dominguez Jr. (@Abrjsdad) March 26, 2021
Stan Albeck played basketball at Bradley University but went undrafted during the 1955 NBA draft. Instead, he immediately went into coaching at Adrian College in Michigan. This led to a career spanning 46 years of college, ABA and NBA coaching. He spent time as an assistant with the ABA Denver Rockets, San Diego Conquistadors, and Kentucky Colonels as well as the NBA Lakers.
At the height of his coaching he served as head coach to the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls. He returned to assistant coach in stints with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
In 2001, Albeck suffered a stroke during his time in Toronto.
With the San Antonio Spurs, he coached three seasons and led the Spurs to 1st place in the Midwest Division in each of his three years. The Spurs made the Conference Finals twice during his tenure.
Fun-loving Stan Albeck was a good fit from the start with the #Spurs, slipping into a pair of Cowboy boots he wore everywhere.
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 26, 2021
“He couldn’t wear a Stetson hat because of that hairdo he had, but he wore those boots," a former team staffer recalled. https://t.co/FHIWZuQ4vF
Pop mentioned how Albeck continued to come to games and talk basketball with him.
More from Pop on Stan Albeck: "He would come to games, he would talk to players, talk to us as coaches, he always had a smile for us, a suggestion or two – because he’s a coach...He is somebody we always respected and he brought a bright light to wherever he was."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 25, 2021
Up until the end of his life, Albeck was a fixture as games talking about the game he loved.
“He would come to games, he would talk to players, talk to us as coaches, he always had a smile for us, a suggestion or two – because he’s a coach...He is somebody we always respected and he brought a bright light to wherever he was.”- Gregg Popovich
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