Although the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic put the 2019-20 NBA season in a state of flux for the entire league, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw has had no problem staying busy.
Shaw was named as one of the candidates to take over the new G League Select Team headlined by five-star prospects Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix. It was announced as part of their new professional pathway program that the L.A.-based team would not be affiliated with any NBA franchise.
While initial reports pegged former NBA head coach Sam Mitchell as the favorite to take over the star-studded squad, it appears a deal could not be reached.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Shaw has since been named as the head coach of the new team:
Brian Shaw has agreed to become the head coach of the new NBA G League elite pro team headlined by Jalen Green, sources say.
Shaw was certainly among the most qualified candidates to take over a team bursting with young talent. He played 14 seasons in the NBA and won three championships with the Lakers before winning two more as an assistant coach with the purple and gold for seven seasons.
Shaw would enjoy a brief stint on the Indiana Pacers’ coaching staff until he was chosen to take over as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets for two seasons from 2013-15. He ultimately made his return to Los Angeles as part of Luke Walton’s staff for three seasons to help develop the Lakers’ young core in effort to turn the franchise around.
Shaw will be tasked with playing an integral role in molding the next potential crop of NBA superstars that chose this pathway program over the NCAA. He will certainly have no shortage of talent to work with in the form of Green, Todd, and Nix.