NBA Black Coaches Maintain Professional Support Network via Group Chat

An 11-member group chat of Black NBA coaches, including J.B. Bickerstaff and Mike Brown, serves as a private forum for professional advice and personal support.

Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Jamahl Mosley met in a 2024 first-round Game 7 where Bickerstaff’s top-seeded Pistons defeated the eighth-seeded Magic to overcome a 3-1 series deficit. Following the game, Mosley was fired within 24 hours before being hired by the New Orleans Pelicans two weeks later. The two coaches are part of an 11-member group chat consisting of Black NBA head coaches and assistants that serves as a private forum for professional commiseration and personal support.

The NBA currently has nine Black head coaches, a decrease from 14 in the 2023-24 season and 15 in 2022-23. The group chat includes New York Knicks coach Mike Brown, who led his team to a championship in 2025, and Charlotte Hornets assistant John Bryant. Other members include Indiana Pacers associate head coach Lloyd Pierce, Washington Wizards assistant David Vanterpool, and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. The collective also hosts an annual "wine and conversation" event during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas to honor veteran coaches like Bernie Bickerstaff.

Beyond professional networking, the group provides support for personal crises, such as family health battles involving cancer and the birth of children. The connections often stem from Tim Grgurich’s annual basketball camp in Las Vegas. While the chat features humor regarding viral moments, such as Mike Brown’s defensive demonstrations or David Fizdale’s 2017 "take that for data" comments, it also serves as a platform for initiatives like Coaches for Racial Justice, formed following the death of George Floyd in 2020.