The Los Angeles Lakers’ search for a head coach to replace the recently fired Luke Walton continues and Tyronn Lue remains one of the leading candidates thanks to some obvious internal connections.
Lue coached LeBron James and the Cavaliers for a four-year span that included a championship victory and two other runs to the NBA Finals. However, he could also be gaining support from members outside the current organization. According to LA Times’ Brad Turner, former Laker head coach Phil Jackson suggested team president Jeanie Buss should consider Tyronn Lue for the vacancy.
Former Lakers great championship coach Phil Jackson also suggested to owner Jeanie Buss that Ty Lue would be a really good coach for the Lakers, per sources.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) May 3, 2019
Undoubtedly a significant endorsement when pertaining to the Lakers, this could help Lue land his second head coaching job. Phil Jackson and Buss also have a very close relationship stemming from the past, as the two were engaged for several years before splitting in late 2016.
Jackson worked within the Lakers organization during some of the franchise’s most storied eras, leading them to five titles and seven NBA Finals appearances during his 11 years at the helm. It’s also worth noting Lue actually played under Phil Jackson as a member of the Lakers for three seasons. Jackson would end his coaching career following the 2011 season and went on to serve as the president of the Knicks from 2014 through 2016.
Tyronn Lue already had plenty of momentum as the lead candidate for the Lakers head coaching position considering his ties to LeBron James and it seems like he’s now the clear favorite. All signs certainly appear to point towards James and his former head coach reuniting ahead of his second season in Los Angeles.
