Kurt Rambis was a force for the Los Angeles Lakers on the court in the 1980s. Now, some people are getting the impression he is a central force off the court. The Lakers have already had plenty of offseason drama, but the team gained some clarity on Saturday afternoon with the hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach.
The Lakers were thought to be nearing an agreement with former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, but negotiations broke down when it was rumored that Lakers brass wanted Lue to consider having Jason Kidd on his coaching staff.
However, Los Angeles hired both Vogel and Kidd Saturday in a sweeping move that may have been orchestrated by senior advisor Kurt Rambis instead of general manager Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers have not hired a new president of basketball operations following the sudden resignation of Magic Johnson, but Rambis may be settling into a role as the “acting” president, so to speak.
Rambis reportedly had a very influential role throughout the hiring process, interviewing Kidd and apparently standing out as one of the few Laker insiders who did not want to hire Lue, according to SB Nation's Lakers site, “Silver Screen and Roll.”
Now that the Lakers have their head coach, they will turn their focus to this summer, when they figure to be major players in free agency.
Los Angeles has the capacity to offer another max-level contract, and will most certainly attempt to woo an All-Star player to join LeBron James and Company.
But if he is truly a “shadow president,” Rambis would also do well to surround James with perimeter shooters, a failure that Johnson was criticized for over the course of this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe