(September 3, 1931- )
Born in Midvale, Utah
Birth name was John Richard Motta
Head coach of the Chicago Bulls (1968-76), Washington Bullets (1976-80), Dallas Mavericks (1980-87,1994-96), Sacramento Kings (1990-91) and Denver Nuggets (1996-97)
NBA Coach of the Year (1971)

He is one of the few NBA coaches to have never played basketball at the high school varsity, college or pro levels.
During his first game at Madison Square Garden, officials refused to believe he was the Bulls' coach until a trainer vouched for him.
During a salary dispute with Bulls stars Bob Love and Norm Van Lier, he called Love 'the greediest player in the league' and said of Van Lier, 'I'd hate to trade him to a friend.'
At what was supposed to be a routine interview session, he abruptly announced his resignation as the Mavericks' coach without warning anyone in the organization (1987).

He has been married to Janice Fraser for over 50 years.
He said winning the Idaho state high school championship (1959) was his greatest thrill as a coach, beating out the NBA championship he won two decades later.
During the underdog Bullets' championship season (1978), he popularized the saying, 'The opera ain't over til the fat lady sings.'

Credit: C. Fishel

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