As the Lakers move forward in their coaching search, one qualification that has been consistent with every potential interviewee has been their head coaching experience. Every candidate so far has spent multiple years as a head coach in this league.
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In an interview with USA Today’s Sam Amick, Byron Scott believes he has one advantage over other candidates:
I do think that they (Jim & Jeanie Buss) know how wearing that purple and gold, being a member of their family, that Laker family, is an important issue and I think they’ll look at that and consider that as well.
Being a part of the Lakers organization is something completely different from any other franchise in the NBA. The pressure and scrutiny the Lakers are under can force many players and coaches to wilt.
Having been through that before, Scott knows what it takes to get through it successfully, something that others can’t say. Coaches like Alvin Gentry and Lionel Hollins have no clue what it’s like to be under the bright lights that the Lakers bring.
Scott’s relationship with Kobe Bryant is also something that could help his cause, and Scott has been to two NBA Finals as a head coach as well. He seems relatively confident that he is right person for the job, and he has reason to be.
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There is still likely to be some time until the Lakers make an official announcement and with competition coming from Kurt Rambis, Mike Dunleavy, and others who have yet to be announced, time will only tell if Scott’s ties to the Laker family will make the difference.
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