Kaleb Canales


Kaleb Canales is an American basketball assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association.

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. He later earned a master's degree in sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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.

NBA 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. In 2010, Canales served as the Blazers' head coach during the NBA Summer League. He was promoted to interim head coach of the Trail Blazers after head coach Nate McMillan was dismissed on March 15, 2012. Canales became the youngest active head coach in the NBA and the first Mexican-American coach in NBA history.
In the summer of 2012, Portland hired Terry Stotts as their head coach, but Canales remained with the team as an assistant.
On May 3, 2013, Canales accepted an assistant coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.

Head coaching record

Personal life

On August 17, 2012, Canales was presented the first-ever "Laredo Favorite Son" plaque by Mayor Raul G. Salinas, who said, "This is a young man who has made history – made history for our community, for our city, and someone that just has a delightful heart"