At NBA All-Star Game, J.B. Bickerstaff understands special opportunity to coach

LOS ANGELES – Bernie Bickerstaff coached in nearly 1,000 NBA games over 14 seasons and also served as an assistant coach. The only time he coached in the NBA All-Star Game was as an assistant coach back in 1979.

So, when Bickerstaff’s son, J.B., finally became an NBA All-Star Game head coach in his fourth head coaching position, the Detroit Pistons head coach truly had appreciation to be the first in his family to achieve that honor.

“I rub it in his face all the time,” a joking J.B. Bickerstaff said with a laugh recently to Andscape. “No, I don’t, but you realize that as long as he was in the NBA, nothing for us is guaranteed and nothing is promised. So, it’s one of those things where it’s like, you cherish the opportunity to get where you are. As an assistant coach or in the NBA period, it was nine years before I participated with anybody in the playoffs. The first eight years of my career, we were done in March or April.

“You understand that no matter whatever happened the season before doesn’t mean that next season is promised to you, the opportunities are there or whatever it may be. So, you just don’t take those things for granted. And it’s special for me to be able to walk in my dad’s shoes and continue to even push that forward.”

Bickerstaff earned the 2026 NBA All-Star Game head coach honor after the Pistons locked in in the Eastern Conference’s best record through Feb. 1. This marks his first All-Star selection and the first for a Pistons coach since 2006. Bickerstaff will be coaching the USA Star team in a new three-team format at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in Inglewood, California.

Simply put, Bickerstaff described the opportunity as “awesome.”

“It is. I’m not going to lie,” Bickerstaff said. “Again, just taking a moment to look back to where you come from to get to where you are now and the people that it impacts. All your assistant coaches, their families, all that stuff matters the most and the experiences that you’ll get going through it all.

“I hope what people can learn from my story is resilience. Interviews that I’ve done for jobs, been fired, never laying down and giving in, showing up every single day with the right attitude. The way you treat people, the way you care about people, it matters. And it’s put me in a place where I’m at now and I’m extremely lucky.”

Bickerstaff has turned the Pistons from a rebuilding franchise to a championship contender this season since being hired as head coach on June 30, 2024. The Denver native has previously held interim head coaching positions with the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers before being named head coach. The Pistons entered the NBA All-Star Break with an Eastern Conference-best 40 wins.

The following is a Q&A in which Bickerstaff talks about the challenges of his coaching career, Pistons All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duran, the influence of his father, the importance of Black History Month and his pride as an African American, teaching his biracial children about the beauty and challenges that come with being Black, the ups and downs of his coaching career, coaching in predominately Black Detroit, advice he would give aspiring Black coaches and more in two separate interviews with Andscape.

What’s your appreciation for being an NBA All-Star head coach from where you came from?

You don’t think about it a lot when you’re in it. So, things happen like this and then it gives you an opportunity to reflect on what’s happened. Just thinking about being an interim head coach in Houston, making it to the playoffs with that team, the expectation of, well, now there’s an opportunity where you have shown that you could do the job to get another job and then that doesn’t happen. So, then I go to Memphis with Fiz [David Fizdale], interim [head coach] again, coach for a year, and then let go at the end of the year. Again, not getting another opportunity, go to Cleveland as an assistant, get that job and then build a program the way that we did, a program that we were proud of.

I was coach [John] Beilein’s assistant [in Cleveland], and he resigned 50 games in. And then I was elevated to coach at that point. There was no interim, it was just coach. And then we built something there. Thought we did a great job. They made the decision to let me go. I ended up [in Detroit]. It’s worked out in a way that I don’t think was imaginable. We talk about it as coaches in our group [chat]. Things happen to you when you go through difficult times and if you handle them the right way, when you come out on the other side, you’ll be in a better position. And that’s where I feel like we are now. Being here with this team, with [Pistons general manager] Trajan [Langdon], with [Pistons owner] Tom [Gores], this is where we were supposed to be.

Do you think that it’s probably not well-known that Detroit was the first full-time head coach job you got without being an interim first?

I think you’re always hunting that idea of like, okay, people view me as a head coach now. I think that’s when it’s either you’re in one place for a long enough time and you accomplish enough or someone else makes the decision to bring you in and hire you and then it makes the job different. When you find a level of success or you get a job in that way, it makes you feel viewed as a head coach in the league, if that makes sense.

When you got let go from Cleveland, where were you at mentally at that time? Was it pretty tough? Months later, you landed the Pistons job.

It wasn’t easy, I’ll say that. And for me, it’s never easy because there’s other people involved in it. If it was just me, you can handle things differently. But when you got a wife and kids and assistant coaches who have wives and kids, all of that eventually comes on you. I think that’s what it’s been in all the situations where I’ve been let go, that’s the most difficult part about it. I feel confident that I would be okay one way or another, but all your assistant coaches are let go also. Especially when you don’t have a job and an opportunity to just bring them with you and make sure they’re taken care of, it isn’t an easy move in your family. Your kids have to go through so much, especially depending on their age. All that stuff made it difficult.

I was at peace with the job that we had done there. So, it wasn’t like a thing where I felt like we failed. We did the job we were asked to do. It wasn’t a matter of like, ‘Okay, we failed.’ It was a matter of they made a decision, you did the job you were supposed to do. What do you learn from it? How do you get better from it? I think there was about a month in between there where I was just kind of like, ‘What am I doing every day?’ But it helped me get to a place of like extreme comfort with myself and clarity to know when the next opportunity came what it would look like.

The Pistons were a struggling franchise when you took the job in 2024. Did anybody try to disparage you from taking this job?

No, because obviously I talked to my dad a ton. And he was on the road scouting and watching a ton of these games and he was like, ‘That team suits you and it’s where your strengths lie.’ What I believe my strengths are is allowing young players to grow and help them reach their potential and impacting an environment where you breed competition, you breed confidence and you breed trust and there was opportunity here for that. Some people you would hear saying, ‘Don’t take that job because you wait a year, you’re going to get a better one with a better team.’ But you just watched this group and studied this group and there was something that just drew me to them and it felt like it was going to be a match.

Did you expect the Pistons to go from rebuilding to best record in the East this fast?

When you were with the group every day, you knew there was a ton of potential there. I couldn’t tell you that I would say that a year and a half later we’d be coaching the All-Star Game and be in first place, but I knew we were going to grow, I knew we were going to continue to get better and we had the pieces. The biggest thing for me also I trust Trajan totally because Trajan is the type of person that understands team and how to construct a roster. I think the small, subtle moves that he made last [season] and then even this [season], that helped elevate this team and I trusted his vision and plan.

Isaiah Stewart was suspended seven games for leaving the bench area, aggressively entering an on-court altercation, and fighting during a recent game against the Charlotte Hornets. Jalen Duren was also suspended two games for initiating the altercation and fighting. Is there any message needed to be given to Isaiah and Jalen about the importance of keeping their emotions with is at stake for the Pistons this season?

We need to move on from that.

How do the Pistons move forward from those suspensions?

Our guys have done it all year long. They stay moment to moment and take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of them. Whether it has been injury or adversity when guys have been called upon they have stepped up. Think of guys like Daniss [Jenkins] and Paul Reed. Whenever they have been called upon, they have lived up to the moment and the team has supported them and helped them be successful. That’s how we move forward. We hold the fort down until our guys get back. We will miss those guys while they are out but the strength of our team has been our depth and we will contribute to use that as a weapon.

What it means to have two of your players, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, in the NBA All-Star Game?

It’s awesome, man. Again, I think about them a ton and what they went through the year before we got here. What they went through that year was not easy. And for them to still have the resolve to want to stick together and improve together, they deserve all the awards that they can possibly receive. They could have very easily been frustrated and be like, ‘Man, I’m not doing this. This is our third or fourth coach in three years.’ Or whatever the heck it was. ‘Let’s go somewhere else together.’ But they didn’t.

They stuck together. They work out together in the summers. They spend time together. They lift each other up. And I think that’s the most important part and the fun part about it, watching guys go through that and then finding a way on the back end of it to work their way to where they are now.

The only time your father coached in the NBA All-Star game was as an Eastern Conference coach assistant in 1979 under then-Washington Bullets head coach Dick Motta. Has your father told you any stories about that appearance?

He was with the Bullets at the time and it was in Pontiac, Michigan. It was February 1979 and my mom was pregnant with me and she was there. So, I was there.

With the Pistons having the East’s best record, do you talk about trying to win the franchise’s first title since 2004?

We’re all about the process. We talk about today every single day. That helps control the emotional ups and downs. If you’re looking at big picture views of 10 games and all that, there’s so many different things that can vary. But if you can stay in the moment and focused on that, it helps your team continue to get better because you’re just attacking the problem that’s in front of you.

Your players were excited that you earned a spot as an NBA All-Star head coach. What did that mean to you?

It’s just the nature of this group. Text messages, phone calls, hugs. They are so happy for everyone. They want to see everybody succeed. We have guys that play different roles. They come in, like Dannis Jenkins, for example, comes in and nobody’s mad that he’s taking somebody else’s minutes. They’re cheering them on.

We had a game in the fourth quarter where Chaz [Lanier] came in against the [Chicago] Bulls and we end up winning that game because he’s making huge shots for us down the stretch. And nobody’s pulling away from that in his moment. They’re all pushing and cheering for him. So, it’s one of those things where that’s the nature of the group. They just want everyone to get what they’ve got coming to them.

How do you handle the chip on the shoulder of this tough-minded group and keep it moving in a positive direction?

I don’t. This is who we are. And we’ve grown this year from last year at being able to control our emotions in it. So, coming into the year, we always have these themes. So, this year’s theme is, ‘Control the chaos.’ So, we want to push people to that level, but then we want to be in control of our emotions while they’re scrambling. And our defense is based on that. Our offense is built on that. Our identity is built on that. We’re trying to push people’s limits in all ways we can.

Who in your family’s most excited about you coaching the NBA All-Star Game?

My mom. She still watches every game. She lives it, she breathes it. I get text messages from her about it. My dad and I talk every single day. But I know my mom, and this is like with me being the youngest and being the youngest boy, she’s invested in it in a different way.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

It’s a celebration of accomplishments of people who have knocked down barriers, people who have been resilient, people who have opened doors and created opportunities for all of us to be in the positions that we’re in now. It’s a celebration of the story of people overcoming such difficult circumstances and being able to continue to fight and find the good in a lot of places that were very dark at times. And it’s just an important part of all of our history, but the fact that it’s highlighted in the way that it’s highlighted in February allows others to share in it as well.

How did your parents teach you about Black history as a child?

It was every day. It was told to us through stories of our parents and of our grandparents and their shared experiences. For me, I’m still of an age where some people may think it was so long ago. But my father in particular was in school in segregated schools and living in Kentucky where race relations weren’t always the best. So, [it was] being able to have conversations with him about the journeys that he went through, the experiences that he went through, the changes that he was able to see over time.

Similarly with my mom, my mom was in San Diego but was from Louisiana and they would drive back from San Diego to Louisiana and have to go through those Southern states. And the stories she would tell us of her travels and what her father would have to do to make sure that they were safe and the places that they could stay in the hotels or rooms that they could rent for the night. That’s where it became such a part of our life and how much it meant to them from what they’ve been able to see to where they’ve been able to go and then what they were able to provide for their kids because of it. It just became a part of our life that we cherished and valued.

Any story that stands out that your mother and father told you?

My grandfather [my mother’s father] would literally have to leave them parked on the side of the road and walk up somewhere to see if they were allowed to stay in a certain place or a hotel. My dad, he’s told the story before about he was playing at one of the white schools and he dove into the stands and one of the white kids tried to pull his pants down. And their coach of the other team told his coach not to worry about it because those kids were told that Black people had tails and they were trying to see what my dad’s tail looked like.

You and your wife, Nikki, have three biracial children. How do you talk about race with your children?

They’re at an age now where just literally [recently] we sat down and had a conversation about it. They are very fortunate in their experiences and the opportunities that they have. But I want them to be mindful of the difficult things and the beautiful things that our history has shown us and the pride that they should take in being a part of that story and making sure that that story isn’t lost with them. That they continue to be a part of the story and share the stories with their friends, with their families moving forward, because there is so much value in it and it’s something to be proud of.

What is the beauty and also the challenge of being in an interracial marriage with biracial kids in terms of learning your history?

That’s the thing. To me, in a time where I feel like it’s much needed, there’s opportunities to learn from our differences, accept our differences. But at the end of the day, you find love where you find love. And that’s what I think is an important story to tell. We come from different places just in our country in general right now. And right now, I feel like those differences are being used to divide us instead of us appreciating those differences and being able to respect those differences and come together. That’s where I am with my wife and my family is like, we are learning each other’s experiences in a different way, the way that it impacts our kids. You hear both sides — their relationships with other Black kids, their relationship with white kids.

There is good and bad in both. Some of the things, that colorism amongst Black kids, you still hear the acceptant piece of it. You still hear no matter who you are, if you look like us, you’re one of us. So, it’s a very interesting dynamic that I’ve had to learn and navigate, and my family’s had to learn and navigate. But I’ve been blessed with three amazing kids because of it and [I’m] trying to help them through their journey, with the message of being proud of who you are, allowing others to be proud of who they are, but accepting them for who they are at the same time.

Because of the wealth that you’ve attained and the status as an NBA head coach while also living in a predominantly Black town in greater Detroit, do you try to seek out things where they could have Black experiences or is it just naturally a part of your environment?

It’s more of a family thing, to be honest with you. Because of the sports that they’re in and the level of competition of sports, they don’t have much free time. My sister and her daughters just moved out here. So, for us, it’s more about putting them around family. And then through sports also, they meet people and experience people that look like them. And that’s where they find the majority of it is through sports, school, and family.

What’s the coolest thing about being Black in Detroit?

Just the love that you get from the city of Detroit is amazing. No matter where I am, it’s a sign of pride from the city and the people that I’ve met that I’ve been able to get to the position that I’m in and coach their team. And I don’t take that for granted. We try to do a job with the mindset of how many people are out there pouring into this Pistons team and how many people from our community love this Pistons team. I feel that love every time I’m out in the streets or anywhere.

You can just feel how proud people are and how much they want to be a part of this Pistons group and the Pistons history as a whole. You go all the way back for me into ‘The Bad Boy’ eras. There’s a connectedness to the community here that’s loud and they wear it proudly.

What notable Black athletes or figures did you get a chance to meet because of your father that stays with you today?

Magic Johnson. Julius Erving. Those were guys that when I was really young, they were bigger than life to me. And those are people who I got enabled to meet through my dad because of it. K.C. Jones was my brother’s godfather and one of my dad’s closest friends who gave my dad his first job in the NBA. So, there’s so many people that I was fortunate enough to meet because of him that it was weird because it was almost normal.

I was a ball boy for his teams in Seattle and it was guys like Xavier McDaniel, Dale Ellis, Shawn Kemp, Derek McKey and all those guys like Nate McMillan. I would just be at practice every day, so they just felt like regular guys to me. One of the guys who I have a great relationship here who’s from Detroit is Jalen Rose. My dad drafted Jalen Rose when he was in Denver and I used to wear Jalen Rose’s shoe. He would give me his shoes to play basketball in when I was in high school. So, it’s like what was normal for us, I sit back now and think about just how abnormal it was and how fortunate I was to be in that position.

There are going to be two Black head coaches in this NBA All-Star Game. San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson won the honor in the Western Conference. What does it mean to you to have two African American coaches and what do you hope comes from people seeing that?

Of all the major sports league, the NBA and the owners of teams in the NBA have gotten it most right as far as allowing and providing opportunities and trusting Black coaches to lead their franchises and to lead their organizations. When given equal opportunity, there’s so many qualified people out there who are capable of doing the job. To me, that’s what’s changed over time is just the opportunity.

I think about guys like my dad, Wes Unseld Sr., Al Attles, K.C. Jones, all these guys that broke down barriers for people like myself to be in the position that I’m in, that Mitch is in. When you get the opportunity, you need to be mindful of that, of all those people that came before you, you do have a responsibility to continue that and push that forward.

What did you think of Lenny Wilkens’ legacy and also his passing last year?

It was sad, obviously, when he passed away. I’ve knew Lenny since I was probably six years old. He gave my dad his first head coaching job with the Seattle SuperSonics. He went on a trip to the Bahamas with us. It was like a celebrity game that was put on, and he and my dad were the coaches. I believe Magic Johnson put that celebrity game on, if I’m not mistaken. So, I’ve known him literally the majority of my life and admired him at a level because of the way he carried himself, the class at which he did the job, how long he survived and lasted in a tough business. He was the President of the Basketball Coaches Association for a long time. So, I have a ton of respect for him. And even when I was in Cleveland, he would call me and check on me and see how I was doing and ask me if I needed anything.

It’s guys like that and mentors like that, that just opened doors for us but then took care of you afterwards. They didn’t just bust it down. They busted it down and stayed around to make sure that we were all okay in moving through the process.

What advice would you give a young Black man or young Black woman considering trying to get into the basketball coaching ranks?

I’ll give the same advice that I was given by my dad, and that was to work twice as hard as everybody else around you and work to be twice as good. I would find every opportunity that existed to work and show people that I was willing to work. My dad set me up when I was younger. Every summer I would work the Euro Camp and then I would work the Chicago Pre-Draft camp every time I was given the opportunity. We used to do those group draft workouts and I would run the group draft workouts that all the executives would come to. We had ‘Grg’s Camp’ [Tim Grgurich] in the summer that we would all go to and the executives would be there. It opened opportunities where people got a chance to see you as an assistant coach to and see what your talents were and what your skillset was. That would be my thing: wherever there is work to be found, go find it and go do a great job at it.

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