The speculation about who will be the next Los Angeles Lakers head coach, following Darvin Ham’s Friday, has picked up fast and one former NBA general manager through a surprising name into the discourse this weekend.
After months of speculation, the Lakers pulled the trigger on a long-rumored decision this week and ousted head coach Darvin Ham. The move comes after a 47-35 finish to the regular season and being ousted from the opening round of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in just five games.
The job is one of the toughest in sports due to the uber-high profile the Lakers brand has not just in basketball, but around sports in general. Nevertheless, winning in Los Angeles can make careers and there will certainly be many interested in the position.
In just the last few days names like NBA veteran JJ Redick and current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue have been linked to the job. However, during a Saturday morning edition of “Sportscenter,” former New York Knicks GM, and current ESPN NBA analyst, Scott Perry tossed a new name into the discourse that may surprise some.
“The other name that comes to mind for me is Mark Jackson. Mark Jackson is an excellent communicator, has a high basketball IQ, and did a really nice job in Golden State in the development of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green,” Perry said. “Helped those guys realize their potential and set them on the path to eventually becoming champions. And the lights of LA aren’t going to be too big for Mark, and I also think he would relate very well with both Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Which would be important in this situation.”
Mark Jackson record (Career): 121-10, .526 win percentage
Jackson has not coached in the league in 10 years after a divide with the Golden State Warriors front office led to his surprising departure following three seasons. He then moved on to a prominent role with ESPN’s NBA broadcast team for much of the time since he’s been out of the league.
He has been rumored for various openings over the last decade and interviewed for a few jobs but never seemingly came close to returning to the bench for an NBA team. He had a 121-109 record during his three seasons at Golden State and was a star for the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks during his 17 seasons as a player.
