We can add another name to the list of candidates for the Lakers‘ head coaching job, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports that Jason Kidd has interviewed for the position.
According to McMenamin, Kidd’s interview took place on Monday, as the former Nets and Bucks head coach met with general manager Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis, who is back with the franchise in an executive role. The meeting lasted for several hours, sources tell McMenamin.
Kidd was linked to the Lakers multiple times during the season when Luke Walton was still under contract. However, his name didn’t come up right away in the wake of Walton’s dismissal, as interviews with Tyronn Lue, Monty Williams, and Juwan Howard were reported first. Kidd now joins that list of names, which could continue to grow if the team doesn’t make a quick decision on Walton’s replacement.
As McMenamin notes, Kidd is the latest Lakers candidate with ties to star forward LeBron James, having played with him during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Williams has also been involved with Team USA squads with James, while Lue coached LeBron in Cleveland and Howard played with him in Miami.
The Lakers were expected to interview Howard today, with follow-up sessions for Lue and Williams on tap for later this week.
Insanity. Guy is a legendary alcoholic, doesn’t understand analytics, and doesn’t have a great coaching resume either.
But the fans and the media like him, so I guess that’s good?
LA is more and more like the Knicks every day.
Did they hire him? Does it say “Lakers hire Jason Kidd”
So we’re agreed that hiring Kidd would be a mistake, but you think interviewing a bad candidate is fine, and I think it’s bad. Is that it?
Because I’m pretty sure it’s pointless to interview a bad coach under any circumstance. To my mind, it makes the organization look inept.
Also, trading away Russell, letting Randle El leave, letting Lopez leave, hiring Magic, giving money to Michael Beasley, surrounding LeBron with guys that can’t reliably hit 3s…
Ya, everything is going great out in LA.
And all that only hurt them in 2018-19. If they land another star all that goes away easy.
The math is simple. If LA get a legitimate star they will be a top team next year, if they don’t they will struggle to be in the playoffs. They were never going to be great this year, they had LeBron a few young guys with potential and a few bad attitude guys.
Agreed the knicks and Lakers have terrible owners!
Celtics nation wholeheartedly supports this move
I’m a Celtics fan and I only came in here to say the same thing.
Agreed!
They should hire Dwight Howard.
Stop all the drama and name James the player-coach and let this team continue to die in infamy.
Kidd is a great transition coach. He’s not going to take you to the promise land but he will improve the existing talent you have.
Based on what? His 44 win season in Brooklyn (with the highest paid roster in the league) before he quit Brooklyn, or the Bucks job he got fired from? Kidd’s replacement brought the Bucks to the best record in the Eastern conference… Isn’t that a strange coincidence? Kidd leaves and they get massively better?
Oh, and let’s not forget Kidd got Brooklyn to make Lawrence Frank his lead assistant, and then demoted him a few weeks after hiring him because he didn’t like Frank telling him how to coach.
Kidd is a terrible NBA coach, at least based on his record.
It doesn’t matter who they hire, LBJ is gonna do to the Lakers what LBJ gonna do. You just get to do it in a suit.
Great HC, is gotta be a vast improvement on Luke Walton!!!
Don’t light a match around while he is breathing. Goes up faster than a Tesla. He would be good for the Lakers thou as they already are a dumpster fire.
His best coaching move was having one of his players run into him so he could spill a drink on the court.
He assaulted his ex-wife
He got into a fight with teammates over Toni Braxton
He has allegedly had several affairs with tv reporters and stripers.
He has a drinking problem.
He hasn’t coached well at his previous stops.
Interesting interview choice for one of the most storied franchises in basketball.
He bangs fish? Ok he’s out.
Lol I agree. a man has to have a code.
The Bucks are proving this year just how bad of a coach Kidd really is. He always had excuses, usually “well it’s a really young team”. This is laughable that anyone would hire this guy after proving that he can’t win with the best player in the game today.