Who Are The Candidates To Replace Mike D’Antoni As Lakers Head Coach?
By Jason Gold
April 17, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott talks to the referee during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Byron Scott is another coach whom Kobe Bryant has a ton of respect for. Scott led the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances, in 2002 and 2003, behind Vince Carter and Jason Kidd. However, he failed to win a single game in those two finals against the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
Scott is a former Laker and player on the Showtime teams with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. He knows how Los Angeles operates and knows the Lakers culture very well. However, his coaching resume, beyond those two years in New Jersey, aren’t stellar. A lot of Laker fans and players have respect for Scott and believe him to be a Laker lifer, and he is. However, I don’t believe that the Lakers organization views him as the go-forward guy for this team. The organizations is trying to make a splash and plan for the future. Byron Scott is not the future of the Lakers organization.