When the Los Angeles Lakers hired Luke Walton last summer, they knew that they were getting a head coach who would never stop learning. Growing up in a basketball family as the son of NBA star Bill Walton, Luke eventually made his way to the NBA, where he used his cerebral approach to the game to become a quality role player.
During his playing days, Walton was exposed to the teachings of some of the best coaches in the game, including John Wooden, Lute Olson, and Phil Jackson. At each stop, Walton picked up different techniques and strategies, some of which he integrated into his own coaching style.
Now, he’s reaching out beyond basketball, as Walton visited Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll in practice as they prepare for the NFL season via Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic:
Luke Walton the latest NBA coach to drop by Seahawks practice and chat with Pete Carroll. pic.twitter.com/HPnRv83UvE
— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) August 21, 2017
Walton has expressed admiration for Carroll in the past, and last season the Seahawks coach congratulated him on Twitter when the Lakers won the first official game of Walton’s head coaching career in last season’s opener against the Houston Rockets.
With a young but talented Lakers team getting ready to take the floor for the 2017-2018 NBA season, Walton will have his work cut out for him. He will tailor his offense around the talents of rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, while leaning heavily on veterans Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He also must get the best out of Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram, who both have something to prove this season.
In the loaded Western Conference, the Lakers will have a big hill to climb to get back into contention, but Walton is sure to have the team playing at their best and will put them in the best situations possible to come out successful.
