ESPN says Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, World B. Free, Robert Parish, Jim Gray, Luke Walton, Jamal Wilkes, Brent Musberger, and Bob Ryan have all been interview subjects for the story. The documentary will be directed by Steve James, who also directed Hoop Dreams, as well as Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. No release date was revealed by ESPN.
Tag: Luke Walton
Speaking on Bleacher Report’s “Open …
Speaking on Bleacher Report’s “Open Run” podcast Wednesday, the new Lakers coach told a story about his playing days with Bryant. “I remember one time my rookie year, I came in a little — uh, (Bryant) and Shaq like to do this as, I think it was just rookies, but any young guy — I probably had too much to drink the night before, so I came in, I was a rookie, I felt good, and they could smell some alcohol on me. And Kobe informed the rest of the team that no one was allowed to help me on defense, and that I had to guard him the entire practice.
“I was laughing at first like, ‘Oh, …
“I was laughing at first like, ‘Oh, this is funny,’ but in Kobe’s mind, in his eyes, it was like, ‘No, I see and smell weakness, I’m going to destroy you today.’ He taught me that lesson. He probably scored 70-something in practice that day, and I was begging for help, none of the teammates would help. But, yeah, his killer instinct and his work ethic, they’ll stick with me forever.”
Cavs hiring Luke Walton as assistant coach
Adrian Wojnarowski: The Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring Luke Walton as an assistant coach, sources tell ESPN. Walton joins JB Bickerstaff’s coaching staff after spending five-plus years as head coach of the Lakers and Kings. Walton spent his final two seasons as a player with Cleveland a decade ago.
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr said it’s too …
Mark Medina: Steve Kerr said it’s too early to say how they’ll fill Mike Brown’s upcoming vacancy. Luke Walton and Alvin Gentry are familiar voices. But interesting to see if Warriors look for new voices. In meantime, Brown will continue his assistant coaching duties through rest of playoffs
The Kings connections, present and …
The Kings connections, present and past, didn’t stop there, either. Former Kings coach Luke Walton was in attendance, as was Alvin Gentry, the coach who replaced him in an interim fashion when he was fired in late November. Both men are former Warriors assistants and, thus, part of the same Golden State tree that Ranadivé has been fixated on since his days as a minority owner with the organization. (That chapter ended for Ranadivé when he became the lead owner of the Kings in 2013.) Sources say neither Jackson nor Brown was aware that Ranadivé was planning to be in attendance, so it was unclear if there was any substantive meaning to the visit. What’s more, sources say neither Brown nor Jackson was offered the job as of late Saturday evening. As our Shams Charania reported on Friday, Jackson already has interviewed for the Lakers’ coaching job as well.
Mark Medina: Luke Walton on site here …
Mark Medina: Luke Walton on site here for Game 3 of Warriors-Grizzlies. Crazy how it’s been seven years since he was here on Steve Kerr’s staff
Meanwhile, in Sacramento, Los Angeles …
Meanwhile, in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Charlotte, the search for a coach of his caliber continues. The Kings, who briefly considered Williams as an option in the 2019 offseason before then-general manager Vlade Divac moved quickly to hire Luke Walton, appear likely to fill their vacancy sooner than the Lakers or Hornets. A decision between the three finalists, sources say, is expected by the week’s end. Former Orlando and Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford has interviewed and so has former Golden State coach and ESPN analyst Mark Jackson. Sources say, Mike Brown, the Golden State associate head coach whose team is tied, 1-1, in its West semifinal series with Memphis, spent informal time with Kings officials on Wednesday and has his formal interview on Thursday.
Interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry knows …
Interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry knows his days in Sacramento could be numbered, but that is a conversation for another day. Gentry, who was appointed head coach when Luke Walton was fired in November, said he has yet to meet with general manager Monte McNair to discuss his future with the team and the possibility of returning next season.
“There would be no reason whatsoever to …
“There would be no reason whatsoever to discuss it right now,” Gentry said. “The season is going to be over in the next two weeks and then from there, we’ll sit down and talk and figure out the direction that everything should be taken.”