Another one bites the dust. Frank Vogel is out as Lakers head coach, making him the sixth coach LeBron James has seen fired over his 19 years in the NBA. Rumored candidates to fill Vogel’s vacant head-coaching position include Doc Rivers (who may be looking for a change of scenery with frustration mounting in Philadelphia), Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz and current ESPN commentator Mark Jackson. The latter is especially intriguing with James reportedly “very enthused” at the prospect of Jackson coaching the Lakers, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
A former NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Star for the New York Knicks, Jackson’s coaching resume includes a brief stint with the Warriors from 2011-14, compiling a .526 win percentage (121-109) over three seasons in Golden State. Jackson’s interest in the Lakers’ job is unclear, though leaving his cushy announcing gig with ESPN for a team coming off an embarrassing 11th-place finish in the Western Conference could take some convincing.
Burdened by a disastrous roster of aging stars with questionable on-court chemistry, the Lakers don’t present the most stable situation, with uncertainty surrounding both James and Anthony Davis’ futures in Los Angeles.
James has been extremely difficult to read, suggesting he’d like to finish his career in Los Angeles while also teasing a return to Cleveland and potentially playing with his son, Bronny, if and when he reaches the NBA. While the opportunity to coach a living legend on one of the league’s most prestigious franchises would be difficult to pass up, James’ reputation as a “coach killer” and influence on roster decisions (L.A.’s Russell Westbrook experiment, advocated for by James, couldn’t have gone much worse) may give Jackson pause.
James, who is due $44.47 million in the final year of his Lakers contract, remained dominant as ever at 37, averaging his most points (30.3) since 2006, though injuries limited him to just 56 games.
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