Kaleb Canales

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Kaleb Canales

| image =

| caption =

| league = NBA G League

| team = Texas Legends

| position = Assistant coach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|7|7}}

| birth_place = Laredo, Texas, U.S.

| high_school = John B. Alexander (Laredo, Texas)

| college =

| coach_start = 2001

| coach_end =

| cyears1 = 2001–2002

| cteam1 = Martin HS (assistant)

| cyears2 = 2002–2003

| cteam2 = United HS (assistant)

| cyears3 = 2003–2004

| cteam3 = UT Arlington (assistant)

| cyears4 = {{nbay|2008|start}}–{{nbay|2011|end}}

| cteam4 = Portland Trail Blazers (assistant)

| cyears5 = {{nbay|2011|end}}

| cteam5 = Portland Trail Blazers (interim HC)

| cyears6 = {{nbay|2012|full=y}}

| cteam6 = Portland Trail Blazers (assistant)

| cyears7 = {{nbay|2013|start}}–{{nbay|2017|end}}

| cteam7 = Dallas Mavericks (assistant)

| cyears8 = {{nbay|2018|start}}–{{nbay|2019|end}}

| cteam8 = New York Knicks (assistant)

| cyears9 = {{nbay|2020|full=y}}

| cteam9 = Indiana Pacers (assistant)

| cyears10 = {{nbay|2021|start}}–{{nbay|2022|end}}

| cteam10 = Orlando Magic (assistant)

| cyears11 = 2021–

| cteam11 = Mexico (Assistant)

| cyears12 = 2023–present

| cteam12= Texas Legends (assistant)

}}

Victor Kaleb Canales{{citation|title=Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997|url=http://www.ancestry.com}} (born July 7, 1978) is an American basketball coach who serves as an assistant coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.

Early career

Born in Laredo, Texas, Canales is a graduate of John B. Alexander High School. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in kinesiology.{{cite news|url=http://godzilla.lmtonline.com/lmthosted/LMT956Sports/081809MakingItBig.php|title=Making it big|last=Cardenas|first=Nino|date=June 30, 2010|work=Laredo Morning Times|access-date=July 16, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128021849/http://godzilla.lmtonline.com/lmthosted/LMT956Sports/081809MakingItBig.php|archive-date=January 28, 2013}}{{cite news

|url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/07/the_trail_blazers_unlikely_lea.html|title=The Trail Blazers' unlikely leader: Kaleb Canales|last=Freeman|first=Joe|work=The Oregonian|date=July 16, 2010|access-date=July 19, 2010}} He later earned a master's degree in sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. He did not play college basketball at any level.

Canales began his coaching career as an assistant coach in 2001 at United High School of Laredo. The following year, Canales became an assistant coach at Martin High School also in Laredo. In 2003, Canales returned to UT Arlington to be an assistant coach.{{cite news|url=http://www.pro8news.com/sports/43077002.html|title=Laredoan "Blazing a Trail" with Portland|last=Gomez|first=Ray|date=April 15, 2009|access-date=July 16, 2010|publisher=Pro8News.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715114840/http://www.pro8news.com/sports/43077002.html|archive-date=July 15, 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=The Final Four: Kaleb Canales|url=http://www.csnnw.com/article/final-four-kaleb-canales|publisher=CSN Northwest|access-date=June 27, 2013|date=July 27, 2012}}

NBA / NBA G League coaching career

In 2005, Canales was hired as a video intern for the Portland Trail Blazers, and was eventually hired as the team's video coordinator. In 2009, he was promoted to an assistant coach for the team.{{cite news|url=http://www.katu.com/sports/local/83702232.html|title=Hard work, no sleep propels this guy to Blazers' coaching job|date=February 6, 2010|access-date=July 16, 2010|publisher=KATU.com|last=Birnbach|first=Craig|archive-date=June 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622092852/http://www.katu.com/sports/local/83702232.html|url-status=dead}} In 2010, Canales served as the Trail Blazers' head coach during the NBA Summer League.{{cite news|url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/06/trail_blazers_announce_summer.html|title=Trail Blazers announce summer league roster|date=June 30, 2010|access-date=July 16, 2010|last=Freeman|first=Joe|work=The Oregonian}} He was promoted to interim head coach of the Trail Blazers after head coach Nate McMillan was dismissed on March 15, 2012.{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/03/report_trail_blazers_fire_nate_mcmillan_as_coach_a.html|title=Trail Blazers fire Nate McMillan as coach; assistant Kaleb Canales will finish season as interim coach|last=Tokito|first=Mike|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=March 15, 2012|access-date=March 15, 2012}} Canales became the youngest active head coach in the NBA and the first Mexican-American coach in NBA history.{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/03/kaleb_canales_takes_charge_of_trail_blazers.html|title=Trail Blazers turn to Kaleb Canales to repair fractured locker room|date=March 18, 2012|access-date=March 8, 2024|last=Freeman|first=Joe|newspaper=The Oregonian}}[https://archive.today/20120713143322/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320423024 Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs – Recap – April 23, 2012 – ESPN] In 2012, Portland hired Terry Stotts as their head coach, but Canales remained with the team as an assistant.{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/08/trail_blazers_hire_kaleb_canales_as_head_coach.html|title=Kaleb Canales will stay with Blazers as assistant coach|date=August 7, 2012|access-date=August 7, 2012|last=Quick|first=Jason|newspaper=The Oregonian}}

On May 3, 2013, Canales accepted an assistant coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2013 |title=Jim O' Brien retires; Dallas Mavericks hire Kaleb Canales as new coordinator |url=https://www.espn.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/9239603/jim-obrien-retires-dallas-mavericks-hire-kaleb-canales-new-coordinator |access-date=May 3, 2013 |website=ESPN.com}}

In 2018, Canales was hired as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks under David Fizdale.{{cite web |last1=Case |first1=Allison |title=New York Knicks hire Kaleb Canales as assistant coach on Fizdale's staff (Report) |url=https://elitesportsny.com/2018/06/18/new-york-knicks-hire-kaleb-canales-as-assistant-coach-on-fizdales-staff-report/ |website=Elite Sports NY |access-date=November 16, 2020 |date=June 18, 2018}} Canales remained with the team after Fizdale was fired in 2019 and worked under interim head coach Mike Miller.{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2019 |title=Knicks Relieve David Fizdale of Head Coaching Duties |url=https://www.nba.com/knicks/front-office-news/knicks-relieve-david-fizdale-head-coaching-duties |access-date=December 6, 2019 |website=NBA.com}}{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2019 |title=Knicks fire David Fizdale after Eastern Conference-worst 4-18 mark |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28238796/knicks-fire-david-fizdale-eastern-conference-worst-4-18-mark |access-date=December 6, 2019 |website=ESPN.com}}

On November 13, 2020, Canales was hired as an assistant coach by the Indiana Pacers under Nate Bjorkgren.{{cite web |date=November 13, 2020 |title=Pacers Name Assistant Coaches for 2020-21 Season |url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-name-assistant-coaches-2020-21-season |access-date=November 13, 2020 |website=NBA.com}}

On October 9, 2023, Canales was hired as an associate head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.{{cite web|title=Legends Announce 2023-24 Coaching Staff|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/legends-announce-2023-24-coaching-staff/n-6021525|website=OurSportsCentral.com|date=October 9, 2023|access-date=October 10, 2023}}