LeBron's Lakers Are So Toxic, Not Even His Good Friend Wants To Coach Them - Report
The body blows to the Lakers just won’t stop as the franchise deals with another embarrassment regarding their coaching search.
As if Magic Johnson resigning as President of Basketball Operations, Luke Walton getting fired (and then “upgrading” by joining the Kings) and Monty Williams turning down the Lakers’ head-coaching job wasn’t enough, Tyronn Lue has broken off negotiations with the team over its head coach opening.
ESPN reports that Lue turned down the Lakers’ original offer on Tuesday and the team responded by increasing that offer Wednesday.
The second offer was in the range of three years and $18 million. After not being happy with that offer, Lue’s team pulled out of negotiations, as he was seeking a five-year deal with a salary commensurate with a championship résumé.
As the only head coach to bring a championship to Cleveland over a half-century, Lue was the preferred choice of LeBron James to coach the Lakers. Add to the fact that Lue was a former Lakers player who won two championships with the team in the early 2000s, and you could see why he seemed like the perfect fit.
If that wasn’t enough, Lue just celebrated his 42nd birthday last week in Las Vegas and had a birthday cake with a giant Lakers logo attached to it.
• So the Lakers and Ty Lue had mutual interest
• It seemed imminent that the two would agree to a deal
• Ty Lue even had a Lakers birthday cake!!!
• But the Lakers wanted Jason Kidd for his coaching staff
• Lue said no, and now the Lakers have to look elsewhere pic.twitter.com/A7RBDCnHaW— SB Nation (@SBNation) May 8, 2019
Social media had a field day with the latest embarrassment for the Lakers, who are one of three teams currently without a head coach.
“3 years, $18M, Jason Kidd” pic.twitter.com/AkOVEayafP
— . (@Hzrris) May 8, 2019
Lakers front office after striking out on Ty Lue and Monty Williams pic.twitter.com/0f6XXKUriG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 8, 2019
Jeanie Buss: Great, all that’s left is to sort out your staff Ty. We want Jason Kidd
Ty Lue:
pic.twitter.com/5RaXjBbPk3— Rohan Singh (@haan_singh91) May 8, 2019
Speaking of Kidd, he appears to be the front-runner (or the last guy left, depending on how you look at it), for the Lakers’ head coach opening.
He previously interviewed with GM Rob Pelinka and advisor Kurt Rambis for a potential spot on Lue’s coaching staff, but he may end up with the head coaching role instead.
The Lakers also interviewed another close friend of LeBron James in Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard.
Not only did Howard play with and coach James in Miami, but he was also a member of Michigan’s Fab Five team on which Pelinka was a backup.
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