(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Not so long ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were considered to be the team to beat in the Western Conference.
That was at a time when the West was as tough as it is nowadays in terms of talent, but it was also way more physical.
Led by Kobe Bryant, they made it to three consecutive NBA Finals, winning a couple of rings in that span.
That was also with legendary coach Phil Jackson on the sidelines.
The Lakers have only won one championship ever since, and judging by how they’ve fared in the final years of the Kobe Bryant era and throughout the entire LeBron James era, that was an outlier and perhaps a bit of a fluke.
Notably, it’s not a coincidence to see that the team hasn’t been consistent since 2011, as no coach has been there for long.
As shown by Courtside Buzz on Twitter, no Lakers coach has lasted more than two seasons in charge of the team since they parted ways with coach Jackson for the second time.
Crazy but true: No Los Angeles Lakers head coach has lasted more than THREE NBA seasons since Phil Jackson
Will their next coach last or get yanked out within three years? pic.twitter.com/Bm0lKNsm5d
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) June 16, 2024
Put that way, perhaps it’s easier to understand why Dan Hurley turned them down and decided to stay put at UConn.
This isn’t particularly a recipe for success, and what was once a highly-coveted job might no longer be that anymore.
Will JJ Redick or whoever they hire put an end to this trend? We shall see.
The post Lakers Have An Unfortunate Coaching Trend Since Replacing Phil Jackson appeared first on The Cold Wire.