Los Angeles Lakers rumors: Head coach to be hired soon?
By Bryan Rose
The Los Angeles Lakers have been without a head coach for over two months, though that is likely to change in the near future. After firing Mike D’Antoni, who was forced to coach a roster resembling something of an NBDL team, the Lakers have interviewed a handful of candidates for the job opening.
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One name who has emerged as a favorite is that of former player, Byron Scott. He has interviewed for the position twice and may need to do it a third time, this according to Dave McMenamin. Still, it appears as if the Los Angeles Lakers are getting close to making a decision and are likely to hire a new head coach in the next week or two as stated by general manager Mitch Kupchak.
“Maybe we can wait until September,” Kupchak playfully suggested. “Obviously that’s one of the next things that we’re going to address, and with putting the roster together and getting through the draft and getting through this last period, a week or two, the next thing we’re going to work on is the coach, and I think we’re going to have somebody in the next couple weeks.”
In addition to Scott, Mike Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis and Alvin Gentry have all be potential candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job. However, given Scott’s relationship with Kobe Bryant and previous head coaching experience, he has long been viewed as the likely favorite.
Scott, for what it’s worth, suggested he was attempting to be patient with the process and suggested it’s a ‘wait-and-see’ scenario.