In the latest episode of the Yahoo Sports podcast, senior NBA insider Chris Haynes spoke with longtime NBA veteran and current Grand Rapids Gold head coach Jason Terry about the influx of black head coaches in the NBA. Hear the full conversation on the Posted Up with Chris Haynes podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

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CHRIS HAYNES: I'm here with Jason Terry on Posted Up with Chris Haynes podcast, here on Yahoo Sports. Jay, when you look at the landscape of the league now, and I believe this season, I could be wrong again, but I believe this season we had the most Black head coaches in the NBA. And I think you look at the playoffs, it was just loaded up with Black representation in the head coaching ranks in the postseason.

And yes, Jason Kidd is Black. Yes, he is. Every time I mention something about Jason Kidd being a Black coach or whatever, Twitter just erupts. Jason Kidd is Black. No he's not. No. Jason Kidd, yes, Jason Kidd is in the Black category. Yes, yes he is.

Do you feel-- do you feel better about the prospects in the landscape that is probably even-- that's probably just more balanced than it was before?

JASON TERRY: No doubt about it. And played for two of those men, Doc Rivers and Jason Kidd. Right. And so for me, the stigma or the perception that Black or African-American coaches aren't able, or astute, to do the job, to me is just totally disrespectful. But that narrative is changing with the more jobs that are open, the more opportunity that's presented itself.

And I am proud to say today in the NBA, half our coaches are African-American. I'm saying, head coaches that are sitting head coaches on the bench, are African-Americans. I look at my brother Tyronn Lue, you know, he sat under Doc Rivers for a couple of years. I was in Boston when he was there as an assistant coach.

And I can just remember sitting by him at shootaround in the Boston Garden and he was just sitting there looking like dejected, you know, because he had been an assistant coach for four or five years and this opportunity to get an interview even for a job had not come up yet. And I just told him, I said, man, stay steadfast to your dreams. Don't ever be discouraged. Right.

And then two or three years later, he ends up in Cleveland, wins the championship. And now he's with the Clippers. And I'll never forget that day. You know, he served as one of my mentors as well. So very proud of those men, those African-American men that are doing the job in those positions. They are paving the way for young and up-and-coming coaches like myself.

And as long as we're given the opportunity, and it's a fair playing ground, we're more than capable to be able to display our basketball acumen, our ability to connect with the players, our ability to teach, to mentor. Because that's really what truly coaching is all about.

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