Anthony ‘A.C.’ Carter prospering in the NBA

DALLAS >> After spending 13 seasons playing in the NBA, Anthony Carter was definitely qualified to be an assistant coach in the Association.

So when Sacramento Kings coach George Karl, who had coached the former Hawaii star with the Denver Nuggets, called last summer and asked “A.C.” to join his coaching staff, Carter jumped at the opportunity.

“It’s a lot different than playing. The preparation for a coach is a lot different than the players,” said Carter, who spent the previous two seasons as an assistant in the NBA Development League. “I’ve been doing scout games, so there’s a lot of preparation as far as watching at least five games of the next opponent that’s my scout. I’m just learning a lot from him (Karl). He’s giving me a chance to get my feet wet.”

Now 40, Carter has successfully transitioned from the D-League to the NBA, due largely to the knowledge he gleaned from his two seasons with the Austin Toros, the D-League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs.

“(I learned about) just not taking everything for granted, keep working hard and work your way up to a position like this. The travel and stuff, it was way different and (we were) staying in different hotels. I really learned how you have to manage the players’ egos. That was a good steppingstone for me,” Carter said.

In Denver, Karl developed immense respect for Carter, so when he had an opening on his staff, he knew A.C. would be a great hire.

“Anthony is a guy that played many years when a lot of people didn’t think he’d play any years. He played what? Thirteen years? Just a committed professional, a winner who loves the gym, works hard in the gym, develops players and likes working with players. He’s been great,” said Karl, who now has the fifth-most wins among all NBA head coaches after recently passing Phil Jackson.

With no UH products currently in the NBA or D-League, Carter is carrying the banner for Rainbow Warrior basketball, which is just fine with him. But, of course, he hopes to see more Hawaii products in the Association in the near future.

“That goes a long ways. It’s not what school you go to, it’s what you do at the school. I can proudly say that I went to the University of Hawaii, played 13 years in the NBA and that I’m coaching,” Carter said. “It should just be something that guys that go to that school look at because I’ve been there and done that.”

In Sacramento, he is part of a talented coaching staff, including Nancy Lieberman, a member of the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame and an icon in the women’s game, experienced NBA assistants Vance Walberg and John Welch, and Corliss Williamson, who won both an NCAA and NBA title as a player.

It’s a group Carter is honored to be part of and a staff Karl considers his lifeline.

“My staff is my survival blanket. They do so much for me it’s incredible,” Karl said. “After (a big win), my thoughts always go first to my staff, the people that have worked for me, the people that have done a great job for me and supported me and helped me when I was ready to jump off the bridge, and yelled and screamed at me when I was too cocky and too smart.”

Like most assistant coaches at any level, Carter aspires to one day be a head coach. In fact, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who has won five NBA titles in the Alamo City, offered him the head coaching job in Austin during Carter’s time with the San Antonio organization, but Carter declined for one simple reason.

“I think I do (want to be a head coach),” Carter said. “I’m making sure I’m ready before I jump into something. I told him (Popovich) let me learn a bit and then I’ll go from there. When I told him no, he said ‘I respect that, AC and I don’t want to see you fail.’ I think eventually, another two, three years, I’ll be ready for it.”