The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Lionel Hollins yesterday and reassigned GM Billy King within the organization, fueling speculation that Kentucky coach John Calipari would leave Lexington for the sole NBA team he has coached and become its new head coach and general manager.
However, Calipari took to Twitter and did not mince words.
You may have heard me say this before: I absolutely have the best coaching job in sports and I plan on being at Kentucky for a long time.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) January 11, 2016
I am not negotiating with ANYBODY. My total focus is on this team and winning the next game.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) January 11, 2016
This isn’t the first time that Calipari has been linked to the NBA, as the New Orleans Pelicans also apparently had interest in bringing him aboard last summer before eventually hiring Alvin Gentry. More importantly, it doesn’t make sense for Calipari to leave Kentucky, where he has a $52.5 million contract and has built a program that is constantly in contention for a national championship.
Currently in his seventh season with the Wildcats, Calipari is 202-41 (82-21 SEC) with three SEC titles, four trips to the Final Four and a national championship.
Thus, until there is an announcement that he is indeed leaving the university, rumors that Calipari is headed to the NBA need to be treated as such.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
