AP Photo/Ben Margot, file
LeBron James is reportedly interested in Mark Jackson becoming the next Los Angeles Lakers head coach.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, James is “very excited” about the idea of putting Jackson in charge of the Lakers, though Amick noted that LeBron’s endorsement doesn’t necessarily mean it will come to fruition.
The Lakers head coaching job became vacant Monday when the organization fired Frank Vogel after a disappointing 33-49 record this season.
In his first season at the helm of LA, Vogel led the Lakers to a 52-19 record and an NBA championship, but things went downhill from there.
The Lakers made the playoffs last season after going 42-30, but they had to go through the postseason play-in tournament to get there. They also fell to eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Still, expectations were high for the 2021-22 season as the Lakers added Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and several other supporting cast to a core of James and Anthony Davis.
However, both LeBron and AD missed significant time due to injury and the Lakers failed to recover, resulting in an 11th place finish in the Western Conference.
As expected, Vogel was the scapegoat for the team’s struggles, meaning the Lakers are in search of a new voice on the sidelines.
Jackson has spent the last eight years as a commentator, but he has three years of experience as an NBA head coach to his credit and some success.
He coached the Golden State Warriors from 2011-14 and went 121-109 in the regular season with two playoff appearances and a playoff series win.
Jackson was fired at the end of the 2013-14 season and replaced by Steve Kerr, who led the Warriors to the NBA Finals for the next five seasons.
In addition to his coaching experience, Jackson was a respected player, spending 17 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the New York Knicks, and was a one-time All-Star.
Despite the struggles they’ve endured this season, the presence of James and Davis means the Lakers remain an attractive target for potential coaching candidates.
Jackson is likely one of many candidates who could be in the running for the job, and they range from big names to lesser-heralded options.
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are expected to lose Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, and University of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard. consider who are all under contract .
In terms of those readily available, Turner noted that former Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford, former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, and Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham were mentioned most often .
Jackson has been kicking hoops for coaching opportunities since his return to broadcasting in 2014. While nothing has compelled him to leave the dressing room, the chance to coach James and Davis might finally be enough if he’s offered the job.