In an open letter to Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl, Claire Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reminds him that minority coaching is alive and well.

In an Esquire Magazine interview, Karl questioned some of the minority coaches being "annointed" to their positions instead of working their way up through the ranks. He has since apologized for the remarks, called them "stupid" and apologized to Magic coach Doc Rivers (the primary target of the comments).

Smith reminds Karl that 2 of the 4 coaches in the NCAA Final Four are "of minority stock". Also, of the 14 minorities coaching in the NBA, 12 have served apprenticeship upon apprenticeship, from colleges to NBA assistant positions as well as in the far reaches of leagues such as the CBA.

In the NBA, black GM's hire and fire white coaches (and vice versa) without incident because wins are much more important than color. And every once in a while, a white coach is "annoionted" based on his reputation as a player like Larry Bird, Dave Cowens and Danny Ainge.

Yet, Karl's words show that conspiracy theories regarding race remain. Basketball thought such silliness was part of the past. It is at the Final Four. It's time for George Karl to get on board.