Inside The Wizards

NBA Star Praises Wizards Coach

The Washington Wizards have a respected coach around the NBA.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 8, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe gives direction during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe gives direction during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have the league's longest losing streak and worst record, and some of the blame has been pointed towards head coach Brian Keefe.

Keefe, 48, has been an assistant in the NBA since 2007 with the Seattle SuperSonics, and he was part of the group that moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the Thunder, Keefe coached Los Angeles Clippers star and former league MVP James Harden, who had kind words for him despite his tough start with the Wizards this season.

“[Brian Keefe] was somebody that helped me [with my work ethic]," Harden said via Monumental Sports Network reporter Bijan Todd. "Hopefully he can instill that into a lot of these young guys [in Washington] where they can grow.”

Keefe has been given a very tough task leading the Wizards, but the team and front office is willing to be very patient with him. The Wizards came into the season and hired Keefe knowing wins weren't expected to be fruitful out of the gate.

Keefe clearly has the resume and acumen to be a head coach in the NBA after paying his dues for nearly two decades as an assistant coach. He has learned from some of the best in the NBA, including Gregg Popovich and Billy Donovan.

While the losing streak has taken its toll on the Wizards, Keefe isn't to blame entirely. While the results haven't been good, the Wizards should trust the process and continue to believe that Keefe can lead this team through the rebuild, and possibly beyond.

Keefe will coach the Wizards tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Bucks in hopes of snapping the team's 13-game losing streak. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET inside Fiserv Forum.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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