Earlier this season, when the Los Angeles Lakers were mired in a losing streak, there were some rumblings that Luke Walton’s job could be in jeopardy. One name that was brought up as a potential replacement was former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale.
After doing an admirable job in leading Memphis to the playoffs a season ago, Fizdale was let go earlier this season. Many didn’t believe he deserved to be fired, including LeBron James who played under Fizdale when he was an assistant with the Miami Heat.
The speculation about Walton’s job security have disappeared with the Lakers’ recent turnaround, but according to Mitch Lawrence of The Sporting News, Fizdale has his eye on the Lakers job and his ties to LeBron James could help him get it:
Sources report that he has his eye on the Lakers job, and the feeling is that his strong ties to James can help the Lakers land LeBron when free agency opens on July 1 […] The league view is if the Lakers can land James with Fizdale’s help, they’ll have to move on from Luke Walton.
This is a very interesting idea, mainly because Walton has done such a good job in turning the Lakers around this season. James has obvious ties to Fizdale from their days with the Heat, but would the Lakers move on from Walton just to appease James?
No one knows the answer to that question and it is also unknown if Fizdale would try and convince LeBron to join the Lakers in order to push Walton out and take the job himself.
Owner Jeanie Buss, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson, and general manager Rob Pelinka have all come out and said that the Lakers are completely behind Walton.
And that support was before the Lakers’ recent run of success. But if Fizdale means LeBron would sign as a free agent, the situation could quickly change.
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