Great Scott! Even if it was coming that still happened fast.
This week the Lakers slammed down the pink slip on the desk of their former purple and gold, 80’s Showtime dunk finisher. Ending Byron Scott’s two year tenure as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers which this year culminated in the franchises worst losing season in history on L.A. legend Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour from the NBA.
Byron played his final years in Lakerland during Kobe’s first in 1996, mentoring him off the bench like the spark-plug he was behind the legacy making likes of Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel in the Forum backcourt. 20 years later as Kobe took his final sneaker steps out of STAPLES, Scott ended up taking a walk too.
It all comes around…it’s almost fitting.
Byron was and is a great coach however. From losing streaks to some troubles with the young, future stats like Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr (you only have to look at his Instagram history) it just wasn’t working. But Scott still did good here and will do so somewhere else too. He was fighting a losing battle in what ended up being a farewell road trip for Kobe. You just don’t walk away from losing records like this…or maybe you do. After all Earvin Johnson once coached the Lakers and even he couldn’t make Magic happen. Just ask Byron…he was there playing for him.
Yet as General Manager and former 80’s teammate Mitch Kupchack looks for a new coach to run the Lakers. Owner Jeanie Buss had no idea Coach Scott was given his walking papers…do we hear rumblings of a certain Zen Master that might Phil…excuse me “fill” the position?
Even though rumors have had it that Phil Jackson has had it in New York. Don’t expect the General Manager to come downstairs and across country just yet. Then again if the Knicks latest experiment doesn’t work out there could be another 80’s Lakers favorite with experience in the triangle in the form of Kurt Rambis.
Still it looks like former Knick coach and Kobe Laker teammate, (also just fired), Derek Fisher is interested in the vacancy. And this was the purple and gold legend the fans of Lakerland wanted last time before Phil tempted him into the Knicks new Big Apple core. Fish despite the fire still has the makings of a great coach who could save L.A.
Still the team that over the post Phil era has gone through coaches like sideline reporters have gone through mikes (from Brown to D’Antoni) are interested in everyone from David Blatt to probably both Van Gundy’s. They’d even love to lure Kevin Ollie or Coach Cap out of college, but remember what happened with K?
Still they should really take a look at their own alumni as this year Golden State Warriors leader Steve Kerr may have just won Coach Of The Year leading his Dubs to a 73 game record that beat his one as a player with Jordan’s Bulls, but it was assistant and former Laker passing great Luke Walton who started this run in the interim of Kerr’s injury. Leaving many thinking that this guy has what it takes to lead Golden State or his own band of Warriors. Could the Grateful Dead’s biggest fans son fit the Bill?
Then again there’s one more Laker that’s just retired that may be looking for a new job…
Imagine that!
Only in Hollywood.
