George Karl is a former American professional basketball player and coach who is best known for his successful coaching career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Karl was born on May 12, 1951, in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. He played college basketball at the University of North Carolina before being drafted by the New York Knicks in the fourth round of the 1973 NBA Draft.

Karl played for the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, and Denver Nuggets during his playing career, which spanned from 1973 to 1985. He retired as a player in 1985 and began his coaching career shortly after.

Karl's coaching career began in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he won two championships with the Albany Patroons. He then became an assistant coach for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Seattle SuperSonics before becoming a head coach for the first time with the CBA's Montana Golden Nuggets.

Karl returned to the NBA as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1991, where he had great success, leading the team to the NBA Finals in 1996. He then coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and the New York Knicks. Throughout his coaching career, Karl was known for his high-energy style of coaching and his ability to get the most out of his players.

Karl was a three-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner and had over 1,000 wins as a head coach in the NBA. He retired from coaching in 2016.

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