Monty Williams tends to circle back to a few men in particular when he looks back on the professional opportunities that led to him becoming an NBA head coach.
First there was Gregg Popovich, the legendary Spurs coach who saw something in Williams that he had seen in so many players before him, which prompted Pop to invite Williams to intern with the Spurs after he retired from playing. Williams helped out on the Spurs’ championship team in 2005 as a coaching intern, where he also met RC Buford and Brett Brown, two people who’d play a big part in his return to coaching many years later.