Larry Drew
A steady NBA guard turned respected coach, known for his basketball IQ and guiding teams through pivotal transitional periods.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: April 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Larry Drew's basketball life has been defined by a quiet, persistent competence. As a player, he was a reliable floor general over ten NBA seasons, most notably with the Kansas City and later Sacramento Kings, where his smart passing and steady hand ran the offense. His playing career was a prelude to a much longer chapter on the bench. Drew transitioned seamlessly into coaching, building a reputation as a thoughtful tactician and developer of talent during long tenures as an assistant with the Lakers, Pistons, and other teams. He earned his first head coaching opportunity with the Atlanta Hawks, where he led the team to consistent playoff appearances. Later, he took on the challenging task of interim head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Cleveland Cavaliers, often stepping in during moments of organizational flux and providing stability. His career is a testament to the enduring value of basketball knowledge and adaptability.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Larry was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Larry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Larry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Atlanta Hawks to the playoffs in all three of his full seasons as their head coach.
- Played 10 seasons in the NBA as a point guard, averaging over 11 points and 5 assists per game.
- Served as head coach for three different NBA franchises: the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Won an NBA championship as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Did You Know?
His son, Larry Drew II, also played in the NBA.
He was a first-round draft pick (17th overall) by the Detroit Pistons in 1980.
He hit a famous buzzer-beating shot for the Kansas City Kings to win a 1985 playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
“A playbook is just paper until the players make it breathe.”
