The Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach search has taken another comical turn. After weeks of indecisive actions, the franchise has recently missed out on recruiting Dan Hurley for the position. This incident infuriated Antonio Daniels, prompting him to confront the organization.
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The franchise’s approach didn’t sit right with the former NBA player. Daniels believed that the Lakers’ rich history and past successes had gotten to the heads of the upper management. In recent years, this planted the seeds for instability within the LA side.
Candidly expressing his thoughts on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the 49-year-old mentioned, “What direction are you [the Los Angeles Lakers] moving in? I believe there’s an organizational arrogance that comes along with the Lakers right now, that’s just hard to get past.”
Furthermore, he even sided with Hurley’s decision to stay at the UConn Huskies. Daniels respected the latter’s unwillingness to give up on stability and legacy solely for the bright lights of the NBA.
“Anytime you take a job…solely for financial gain, is probably the wrong decision”
@WorldWideWob and @adaniels33 aren’t surprised at the news that Dan Hurley is staying at UConn
Hear the guys continue to react and talk Finals until 4p ET on NBA Radio! https://t.co/iiUuqRLa9d pic.twitter.com/AtbGzz04Z5— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 10, 2024
This revealed two sides of a coin. On the one hand, the Lakers’ impulsive decisions of frequently changing its head coaches in recent years have turned them into an unattractive destination. On the other hand, the Huskies have benefited from precisely the opposite, aiding in creating a sustainable team culture.
So, the franchise will probably need to start from scratch again. However, to make this possible, they must find a suitable personality to build their fort around.
Who is in line for the role after Dan Hurley?
Since this position became vacant, JJ Redick emerged as a prime contender. Despite lacking coaching experience, his expertise as an analyst added volume to these talks. The 39-year-old’s camaraderie with the team’s talisman, LeBron James, also benefited him.
Yet, the Lakers probably remained unconvinced of his capability as a future head coach. As a result, the franchise has been weighing up other options since beginning its head coach search.
However, the tables have turned in Redick’s favor in recent weeks. With the Lakers failing to lure in their preferred candidates, they may have to turn their attention to the sports analyst. The latter has been allegedly waiting for this moment, embracing the opportunity at first sighting.
This builds the premise for an exciting few weeks in the franchise’s future as it enters the make-or-break phase.
