"When Mark Jackson and Tyrone Corbin teamed up on the Toronto Raptors for the first two-thirds of the 2000-01 season, they knew they were nearing the end of their playing days.

They also recognized that coaching was in each other's future.

"I had played with a lot of forwards who got away with athleticism or skill, but he always understood the game of basketball," Jackson said of Corbin.

And Corbin on Jackson: "I knew he'd be a coach because of his knowledge of the game and the way he talked to guys in the locker room and in huddles. He understood tempo, game situations and had a unique vision on the floor."

Jackson, in his first year as Warriors coach, and Corbin, who took over Utah midway through last season, played together under Lenny Wilkens - the second-winningest coach in league history.

"He was a guy who didn't make it too complicated, didn't make it seem like it was rocket science," Jackson said.

Corbin was 38 at the time and had to rely on his understanding of the game's intricacies to succeed. Jackson was 35 and had already spent his career outsmarting more athletic opponents."