Quin Snyder Named Western Conference All-Star Coach
Feb 17, 2021, 11:42 AM | Updated: 6:42 pm
Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz works the sidelines against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center on January 30, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Quin Snyder will be named the coach of the Western Conference All-Star team. Snyder has led the Jazz to the best record in the NBA at 23-5, locking up the nod over Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue whose team’s record stands at 21-8.
Before the Jazz hosted the Clippers on Wednesday night, Snyder confirmed he would be overseeing the roster.
“It’s just a statement about our team and our players,” Snyder said. “The way that they’ve played, obviously winning games, but ultimately that that’s the reason you’re there is because your team is winning.”
The Los Angeles Lakers own the second-best record in the Western Conference at 21-7 and could overtake the Jazz in record by the deadline for naming the coach, but the Lakers Frank Vogel is ineligible to be named the coach after earning the honor last season.
Snyder is in his seventh season with the Jazz and has amassed a winning percentage of .576 since taking over the roster. Earlier this season Snyder passed former Jazz coach Frank Layden to become the team’s second all-time winningest coach with 277 wins.
just waiting for the league to announce the coach in the west for #NBAAllStar … pic.twitter.com/KsI3NOanB2
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 16, 2021
The former Duke point guard was also named NBA Coach of the Month for December and January after leading the Jazz to a 13-4 record to start the season.
Snyder became only the third coach in Jazz history to earn the Coach of the Month Award twice during his career. The coach joined Layden who earned the honor two times, and the late Jerry Sloan who won the award 10 times during his Hall of Fame career.
Snyder joins Layden as the only Jazz coach to also lead an NBA All-Star team. Layden led the 1984 Western Conference All-Star team while Sloan was never given the honor despite his illustrious 26-year career.
Quin Snyder on being named the #NBAAllStar coach for the Western Conference.
"It's a statement about our team and our players… Ultimately that's the reason you're there."
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 18, 2021
The league will name its 10 All-Star starters on Thursday on TNT, while reserves will be named the following Tuesday on February 23. The reserves include three additional frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wildcard players.
The game is expected to be held on March 7 in Atlanta. The league plans to use the event to raise money for historically Black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief campaigns. The Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shooting Contest, and Dunk Contest will be held the same night.
