Ep. 32: NBA Coaching Trailblazer Lindsay Gottlieb

Pass It Down

Lindsay explains to a pair of Cal alums (who wanted her to stay in Berkeley forever) why she became the first head coach of a Power Five women’s program to bolt for the NBA, pinpointing the moment she first viewed such a move as more than a pipe dream and its potential impact on future generations. She looks back on Cal’s breathtaking run to the 2013 Final Four (and the emotional assists the Golden Bears got from Kobe Bryant and President Obama), her tumultuous but fulfilling first year with the Cleveland Cavaliers and why a photo of Rockets star James Harden holding her young son left her feeling less than celebratory. We also learn what it’s like to be Mike Silver’s friend in a city that hates him, how Mike blew his chance to attend the same Ivy League school as Lindsay, and why Natalie got red-carded during a soccer tournament championship game on Mike’s birthday.