The Los Angeles Lakers dismissed head coach Darvin Ham to kick off the off-season with a bang, even though the NBA Playoffs are still very much ongoing.
Following Ham’s dismissal, LA has already begun the process of selecting a new head coach for their team. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that the Lakers are considering hiring Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. This is precisely what Charania said in her tweet.
The Los Angeles Lakers and @jovanbuha have announced the departure of coach Darvin Ham. Sources tell us that a thorough search will shortly begin, and candidates include Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick, and, if he becomes available, Ty Lue will be considered.
The head coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers is, to be honest, the most difficult in the NBA. Too frequently, the team’s head coach will get all the slander and none of the accolades. Even when a player like Frank Vogel helped the team win an NBA title, he was fired soon after and got relatively little recognition. If Kenny Atkinson accepts the position, he must be prepared to acknowledge that he will be under constant scrutiny.
Atkinson’s tenure as the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach only lasted from 2016 to 2020. In 2022, while playing for the Golden State Warriors, he took home an NBA championship.
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In the midst of contract rumors, Klay Thompson sends a strong message.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors is locked in
Klay Thompson, a great player for the Golden State Warriors, is known for playing with a chip on his shoulder, and this season he might be more focused than ever. With Tupac’s “Me Against the World” as his background music and the caption, “The sort an energy I’m on all season,” Thompson posted a powerful statement on Instagram amid rumors that he and the Warriors were at odds over a contract extension.
Thompson always plays with this mindset, as was previously said, therefore it’s possible that this has nothing to do with the latest rumors regarding his contract. Having said that, the Warriors star has a significant extra incentive to have a successful season because it’s probably his last chance to earn a long-term contract in the NBA.
It still seems plausible that Thompson and the Warriors will extend their collaboration at some point, though it might not happen before the season starts given their shared desire to close a deal. Naturally, this creates a certain amount of uncertainty, but Thompson and the club may not be in the worst situation because they can use this season to figure out what is best for everyone.
Golden State wants Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to all retire with the Warriors because they have achieved the extraordinary achievement of having a core together for this long.
