Moments before the New Orleans Pelicans boarded the plan to head to the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Wednesday, head coach Alvin Gentry received word from the league that he would be cleared to join them. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report that Gentry would be cleared.
Prior to Wednesday, the Pelicans had multiple coaches that would not be joining the team in Orlando. Associate head coach Jeff Bdzelik, known as one of the brighter defensive minds in the league, opted to stay in New Orleans due to his age. On Tuesday, assistant Jamelle McMillan also made the decision to remain in Louisiana to remain with his newborn son.
The decision to allow Gentry to join the team sets an interesting precedent for older coaches in the NBA’s restart. Gentry, 65, is one of the handful of coaches who were flagged by the league due to their age. Another high-profile one in Mike D’Antoni, who is four years older than Gentry, will also find out his decision in the immediate future as the Rockets are set to travel to Orlando on Thursday.
