As of now, there is no shortage of candidates for the head coaching job of the Los Angeles Lakers that is now vacant.
There are many names being thrown around, including Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder and even Toronto Raptors head man Nick Nurse.
LeBron James reportedly has lots of pull within the Lakers’ organization, and whether the amount of pull he has is right or wrong, the team will need to hire someone whom James will at least accept as his new coach.
According to a prominent journalist who covers the NBA, there is one candidate who may get the four-time MVP excited.
Via The Athletic:
“And here’s a tidbit to monitor as the Lakers conduct their latest coaching search: Sources say James would be very enthused by the prospect of Mark Jackson landing the job,” wrote Sam Amick.
Jackson hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2014 when he was fired by the Golden State Warriors, who he coached for three seasons.
While he was there, they showed improvement, winning 51 games in his final season.
The very next year, under Steve Kerr, the Warriors won 67 games and the NBA championship.
Since leaving Golden State, Jackson has been a color commentator for nationally televised games on ESPN and ABC.
According to multiple reports, one of the reasons Jackson’s tenure in Golden State went awry is because, as a devout Christian and ordained minister, he had problems getting along with players on the roster who were not as devout as him.
Jackson has denied such reports.
If Lakers fans may not be as enthused as James about the possibility of Jackson getting the job, he is represented by Klutch Sports, James’ agency, and that may give him some sort of inside track on landing L.A.’s coaching job if it doesn’t land its top choices.
