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It’s not so usual to see a college basketball coach turning down a job in the NBA.
That’s even less common if you factor in the fact that the said coach turned down the Los Angeles Lakers and north of $11 million a year.
However, Dan Hurley had all the leverage in this situation.
He’s the most sought-after coach in the college basketball scene, and the kind of continuity and foundation he’s built at UConn was something he may never get in Los Angeles.
Add state taxes and cost of living to the mix, and Zach Lowe wasn’t that surprised to see Hurley politely declining the Lakers’ offer.
Talking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Lowe argued that, if anything, the job wasn’t all that great to begin with.
He stated that LeBron James is about to turn 40, and while there’s always the looming possibility of them getting another star, it’s not like they’re definitely going to become a championship contender right away with this roster, regardless of who’s coaching them.
“The Lakers job is not that great of a job. … You’re not staring at a no-brainer championship window.”
@ZachLowe_NBA pic.twitter.com/CxhoFNchWK
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 11, 2024
Hurley has an opportunity to win three consecutive NCAA tournaments.
He’s built the Huskies’ program almost at will, and he’s in charge of pretty much everything there.
That would never be the case on any NBA team, especially not with the Lakers.
At the end of the day, it takes more than just money to convince someone to make such a major career decision, and the Lakers aren’t the sure-fire championship-caliber team they used to be anymore.
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