David Fizdale

 David Fizdale is an American professional basketball coach who is presently the head coach of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as the Memphis Grizzlies head coach. Fizdale grew up in Los Angeles and attended John C. Fremont High School, where he played point guard for the school's basketball team. He subsequently went on to the University of San Diego, where he earned a B.A. in communications with a sociology minor. He worked as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat from 2003 to 2016. He was named head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in May of 2016. Fizdale was fired early in his second season with the team owing to bad records and questionable actions. He became the head coach of the New York Knicks in May 2018.

Childhood and adolescence

David Fizdale was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 16, 1974. Helen Hamilton, his mother, is black, while her father is white. After his father abandoned the family when he was young, David was raised by his mother on her own. His paternal grandparents, on the other hand, had been a part of his life from the beginning. David visited them on a regular basis at their home on the opulent Avenue of the Stars.

He has been exposed to the violence of Los Angeles' streets since he was a child. He has lost several acquaintances and family members to gun violence over the years, including his maternal grandfather. He was racially profiled by the police and was pulled over multiple times. Tina Thompson, the WNBA standout, was one of his childhood pals and lived in the same apartment complex as him.

Fizdale was a member of the basketball team at John C. Fremont High School, where he was a point guard. He enrolled at the University of San Diego after graduating from high school. He earned a bachelor's degree in communications with a sociology minor.

Fizdale appeared in 93 games for the San Diego Toreros over four seasons (1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, and 1995–96), averaging 2.6 field goals per game, 4.1 2-point field goals per game He was named to the All-West Coast Conference team as a senior and averaged seven assists per game.

Early Coaching Caregiver

David Fizdale worked as an intern in the video department of the Miami Heat.  This was his first position as a coach. From 1998 to 2002, he worked there for four seasons and had some success. Kyle Smith, who worked with Fizdale at the time, lauded his personality and mastery of the game.

In 2002, he departed San Diego and became an assistant coach at Fresno State. He was offered a coaching job with the Golden State Warriors after a year there.

He served one season with the Warriors as an assistant coach under head coach Eric Musselman between 2003 and 2004. Fizdale then joined the Atlanta Hawks' coaching staff, where he stayed for four seasons between 2004 and 2008.

Fizdale was with the Miami Heat for eight seasons, from 2008 to 2016, when he worked with some of the world's top players and developed personal ties with them. He also played a role in Miami's two NBA championships (2012 and 2013).

During the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend's Rising Stars Challenge, he coached Team Shaq, a team chosen by Shaquille O'Neal, against San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer's Team Chuck, chosen by Charles Barkley. Fizdale's team was defeated 163–135 in the encounter.

The Grizzlies of Memphis

On May 29, 2016, Fizdale was named head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. In the 2016-17 season, the Grizzlies won 43 of their 82 games under his direction.

Before the Grizzlies sacked him on November 27, 2017, the team won seven out of 19 games in the 2017-18 season. His decision to seat Marc Gasol in the fourth quarter of a game received widespread criticism and is widely seen as one of the key reasons for his dismissal.

New York Knicks

On May 7, 2018, Fizdale was announced as the new head coach of the New York Knicks. He had just signed a four-year contract with the team when he received the news. The Knicks only won 17 of their 82 games that season, failing to make the playoffs.

Personal and Family Life

David Fizdale proposed to his long-time girlfriend, marketer Natasha Sen, in mid-2013. They then proceeded to Paris for a holiday, when he proposed for the second time.

In August 2014, the pair were married at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California. Guests invited to the wedding included Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Jenine Howard, Juwan Howard, Johanna Gomez, Steve Stowe, and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Kyle Jackson is David Fizdale's son from a previous relationship.