It will take some time for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a decision on who’ll be the next head coach of the storied franchise. With no shortage of viable options, the Lakers taking time to weigh the pros and cons of candidates is a smart move after Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni failed to pan out.
One candidate that may have an inside track with GM Mitch Kupchak is George Karl. The former Coach of the Year expressed interest in the position, but has yet to talk to the Lakers brass about the head coaching vacancy.
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Apparently, Karl’s relationship with Kupchak goes all the way back to college at the University of North Carolina. Karl let it be known that he was Kupchak’s roommate while playing for the Tar Heels on SiriusXM via ESPN:
“Mitch Kupchak [Lakers general manager] and I were roommates in college and Mitch has been a very good friend of mine for years,” Karl said on “Off The Dribble” on SiriusXM. “Have I talked to Mitch in the last couple of weeks? No I haven’t.”
Karl isn’t the only head coaching candidate that has ties with Kupchak from North Carolina as current Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams has been linked to the job. Williams downplayed the chance of becoming Mike D’Antoni’s replacement in Los Angeles, but left the door open.
As for Karl, the veteran head coach has been out of the game after the Nuggets parted ways with him shortly after he won the Coach of the Year award in 2013. Despite health issues over the years, Karl has expressed in returning to coaching and will likely get consideration from the Lakers.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers haven’t been in touch with Karl as of yet:
The Lakers have yet to reach out to Karl, a source told ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne.
The Lakers will continue to weigh their options with the NBA draft lottery rapidly approaching on May 20. Karl will likely get serious consideration if truly interested in the position with the Lakers.
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