Lakers News: Luke Walton Didn’t Expect Deal To ‘Get Done That Quickly’

Corey Hansford
2 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers named Luke Walton as their new head coach on Friday night. The team moved quickly in locking down Walton as the decision to fire Byron Scott came less than a week earlier.

In speaking about the coaching search, general manager Mitch Kupchak said that the search would probably take at least two weeks and the team reportedly had interviews lined up with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

Obviously those interviews were cancelled as things happened quickly for Walton and the Lakers. According to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, the deal came together quicker than even Walton expected:

Someone else who was surprised by how quickly the two sides came to an agreement was Warriors coach Steve Kerr who said he was shocked according to Bill Oram of the OC Register:

Many may have been shocked with how quickly the Lakers moved to lock down Walton, but it shows how serious the Lakers were in believing Walton was their best option. The Lakers’ last coaching search stretched into late July and the team did not want to make that mistake again.

Walton will be able to be a part of the Lakers’ draft and free agency this off-season as the team looks to make a huge splash. If Walton is able to turn the Lakers around as quickly as this deal got done, Lakers fans everywhere will be extremely excited.

Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.
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