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**INDIANAPOLIS**— At the age of 65, Rick Carlisle remains committed to self-improvement. He’s constantly seeking strategies to gain an edge in the intensely competitive world of the NBA, honing his skills to direct his Indiana Pacers defense as they attempt to rein in the explosive Donovan Mitchell.
Time has inevitably changed Carlisle, who is now not the same individual he was nearly 25 years ago when he began his head coaching career with the Detroit Pistons. In his current tenure with the Pacers, where All-Star Tyrese Haliburton takes center stage, Carlisle is yearning for a second NBA championship to add to the one he earned with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. After his team eliminated the 64-win Cavaliers in five games on Tuesday, he’s just eight victories away from realizing that goal, marking Indiana’s consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“That desire to guide and educate—NBA head coaching is the ultimate test of that,” Carlisle shared with The Athletic on Sunday night, roughly 25 minutes after his Pacers overwhelmed Cleveland with 80 points in a spectacular first half, clinching Game 4 of the series and dismantling the Cavaliers’ previously successful 3-2 zone.
“The level of play is extremely high,” he noted. “The intensity is intense. To succeed, one must learn from missteps and observe the successful tactics of other accomplished coaches—like (Gregg) Popovich, Phil Jackson, and (Pat) Riley. I had the privilege of working under Hall of Famers like Chuck Daly and Bill Fitch, absorbing invaluable insights from them.”
Each of these coaches celebrated championship wins, with all except Fitch securing at least two. Carlisle has his sights set on becoming the 15th coach in history to amass two titles. Jackson won six championships with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Los Angeles Lakers; Riley netted four with the Lakers and another with the Miami Heat in 2005. Alex Hannum is the only other coach who has captured championship titles with multiple franchises.
Carlisle’s victory over the Cavaliers was his 79th playoff win, placing him in a tie with Rick Adelman for 13th on the all-time coaching playoff wins list. He now sits one win behind Lenny Wilkens and George Karl and is just two shy of K.C. Jones, who holds the 10th spot with 81 postseason victories.
Tyrese Haliburton propelled the Pacers to victory against the Cavaliers in Game 5 with a stellar 31-point performance.
With 993 career regular-season wins, Carlisle is set to become only the 11th coach in NBA history to hit 1,000 career victories at the beginning of the next season. Should the Pacers replicate their 50-win season next year, Carlisle will surpass Adelman (1,042 regular-season wins) to secure 10th place on the all-time list for regular-season coaching victories.
Reflecting on his initial coaching days in Detroit, Carlisle acknowledges his past abruptness with players, team management, and the media. In both Detroit and during his first stint with the Pacers, he often called plays from the sideline for teams more suited to a deliberate pace, exhibiting a controlling nature.
In contrast, while he still demands excellence—Myles Turner quipped, “Oh, he’s gonna bark a little bit”—Carlisle has embraced a more collaborative approach over the years. He has empowered his coaching staff, echoing Larry Bird’s guidance during his early days as one of Bird’s assistants, where he ran the Indiana offense as Harter handled the defense. Like Bird, Carlisle now undertakes CEO-like decisions.
Navigating the intricacies of the Cavaliers’ 3-2 zone, Carlisle found himself deep in problem-solving mode. Coaching at this level demands excellence as teams face off against the league’s top talents and cerebral competitors. The preparation required is immense, with coaches needing to solve complex issues in real time, all while maintaining their team’s playoff momentum.
Indiana’s intensity in Game 4 increased significantly, with the Pacers executing more robust screens and purposeful movements. They had also discovered strategic ways to exploit the Cavaliers’ length, effectively finding and striking at openings in their defense. The Pacers capitalized on their early 3-2 defensive possessions, netting 3 of 3 on open three-point shots from skip passes and securing a layup after a short-roll pass.
Haliburton praised his coach after the decisive Game 4 victory, calling him “kind of a savant when it comes to adjustments.”
Turner also commented, “I think he has this kind of hoop ADHD… he’s constantly brainstorming ideas, delivering them all at once. I relate to that. His breadth of experience is impressive, and I appreciate his Renaissance man approach. He’s made significant contributions to my career and granted me a sense of freedom on the court that I didn’t have before.”
Carlisle stepped back from micromanaging during his first year in Dallas, choosing to lean on the intelligence of his players. After a rough start, he recognized that Jason Kidd, one of the most astute guards in history, could guide the team just as effectively as he could. This decision led to a 50-win season and a deep playoff run.
Two years later, his ability to make mid-series adjustments, like inserting J.J. Barea into the starting lineup, was pivotal as they upset the favored Miami Heat to win the championship.
“Much has changed in these 23 years,” Carlisle reflected. “The game has evolved significantly. At times, my teams have been at the forefront of that evolution, while other times, I’ve had to adapt. A critical lesson is to remain open to change. Players today communicate differently, influenced heavily by social media. Having a 21-year-old daughter has enriched my understanding of how to connect with this generation. Every day in the NBA is a learning opportunity, and I strive to become a more effective communicator.”
In his interactions with today’s players, Carlisle is adopting various strategies.
“I’ve heard rumors and gossip,” noted Turner, who has been with the Pacers for a decade since being drafted 11th in 2015. “He remains the same coach but has embraced a more Zen-like mindset. He’s calmer and more patient, and he values the personal journey of developing young men alongside basketball skills. That’s something he takes pride in.”
Yet he continuously seeks ways to sharpen his mind.
In college at the University of Virginia, Carlisle taught himself to play the piano, a passion that has endured. He lights up discussing the late jazz legend Oscar Peterson, reminiscent of a child’s excitement when discussing their favorite athlete.
“One time on the road, he mentioned a friend was performing at a small venue downtown. I said I’d join,” Mark Boyle, the Pacers’ long-time radio announcer, recalled. “We ended up at a Bruce Hornsby concert. ‘A friend of mine!’”
A decade ago, in pursuit of new challenges, Carlisle took up flying. He purchased a Cirrus SR22 Turbo in 2014, believing that owning a plane would motivate him to complete the required lessons and supervised training. Recently, he has been training to pilot a Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet, capable of cruising at 31,000 feet and equipped with an autoland system and a parachute for emergencies.
“When I first met Carlisle, he was fervent about basketball but also had a family focus,” said Mike Matthews, the Cirrus domestic sales director, who assisted Carlisle with his training. “Traveling to see his parents in Ogdensburg, NY, typically requires multiple transfers on commercial flights, making it a whole-day endeavor. He is incredibly organized, each part of his day meticulously timed. I respect that quality in him. He saw an opportunity to use flying to enhance his relationships with players and staff while also improving efficiency in accessing his family.”
Carlisle drew inspiration from his brother, Bill, who transitioned from a sheriff’s deputy to a law student at 48.
“That was quite motivating for me,” said Carlisle. “I didn’t seek to attend law school, but I wanted to embrace challenges. I found parallels between flying and coaching, such as redundancy and spatial awareness—valuable skills in both fields.”
It also became a unique way to bond with players. When Pacers guard T.J. McConnell wanted to visit his former college coach Sean Miller during the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, Carlisle offered to fly him in the SR22 from Indianapolis to Greensboro, NC, where Xavier faced Pittsburgh, then on to Charlotte for a game against the Hornets.
Carlisle is also dedicated to elevating the coaching profession. Elected president of the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2005, he acknowledges that he was on the court during pre-draft workouts when he was informed of his election. The late Michael Goldberg, the association’s longtime executive director, conveyed the news to him in his distinct New York accent.
Carlisle will conclude his two-decade presidency of the NBCA next December, during which he has focused on spotlighting young coaches and those from diverse backgrounds. He is known for his outspoken views when yet another promising coach is released in an increasingly impatient league.
In 2009, he advocated for the establishment of a Lifetime Achievement Award for coaching excellence, named in honor of Chuck Daly, the late two-time NBA champion coach and head coach of the historic 1992 “Dream Team.”
In his current tenure with the Pacers, Carlisle oversees a very distinct team compared to those linked to the notorious brawl at Auburn Hills in 2004, which shattered a promising squad. This Pacers team may be spirited and defensively sharp, but they’re not known for fighting back. Instead, they’ll dominate if opponents are slow in transition.
Carlisle has also unlocked the potential of players like Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Turner.
Turner has faced trade speculation throughout his time with the Pacers. He struggled to find his footing alongside Domantas Sabonis. Despite being with the team for 11 years, his path has been tumultuous. However, Carlisle, while managing expectations, has instilled belief in him.
“Carlisle is the first coach I’ve had who consistently trusts my abilities,” Turner observed. “He gives me the freedom to play my game. Psychologically, we’re aligned.”
Carlisle acknowledges it’s a bit far-fetched to draw many parallels between his two pursuits. The intense demands of the playoffs make it a unique experience. Yet the essence of consistently seeking solutions to complex scenarios resonates. Just like in flying, where small adjustments can recalibrate the course, coaching involves similar adaptations to navigate challenges.
“One lesson I’ve learned from flying is that even minor deviations can be reset with small adjustments,” Carlisle explained. “In basketball, as in life, those minor adjustments are crucial for problem-solving.”
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David Aldridge is a senior columnist for The Athletic, with nearly 30 years of experience covering the NBA and other sports for Turner, ESPN, and the Washington Post. In 2016, he received the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Legacy Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. He resides in Washington, D.C. You can follow David on Twitter @davidaldridgedc.
