The Los Angeles Lakers have already made the biggest splash in the offseason by hiring Luke Walton as their head coach. Walton was expected to be a hot commodity for teams with a head coaching vacancy, but the Lakers acted quickly and locked him in as their leader for the next five years.
Luke’s father, Bill Walton, advised him to stay put in Golden State as an assistant coach for a few years once the rumor mill began saying that the Lakers were interested in his services. Luke disregarded his father’s advice and accepted the Lakers’ offer to become their head coach, and Lakers Nation could not be happier with his decision.
Bill, however, is still proud of his son and is excited at the opportunity that Luke has to grow with the young core of the Lakers. According to Arash Markazi of ESPN, Bill was spotted at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center and he shared his thoughts about Luke joining the Lakers:
“Wow, what an incredible opportunity. We’re from Southern California and we love Southern California and the Lakers. For Luke to have that position as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, wow, it doesn’t get any better. It’s overwhelming, it’s staggering and it’s awe-inspiring. I’m the proudest and luckiest dad in the whole world. What a Father’s Day.”
What an incredible opportunity indeed. The Waltons and Lakers fans alike are looking forward to the future, as Luke is set to steer the Lakers back onto the course of contention. With a great young core already in place, and the number two pick in next week’s draft, Luke has a great foundation to start with.
Though he is still finishing up his responsibilities with the Golden State Warriors, Luke will soon come down to Los Angeles to officially begin his journey of returning the Lakers back to the top of the NBA.