Magic Johnson wants UConn’s Dan Hurley to be the next Lakers coach.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ search for their next head coach took a significant turn on Thursday, when it was revealed that the franchise was seeking UConn head coach Dan Hurley. Hurley had never been mentioned as a viable candidate before, so the news surprised many.
That being said, Hurley is an incredibly accomplished collegiate coach, having won back-to-back NCAA National Championships with UConn, and many, including Magic Johnson, believe he would be an ideal option for the Lakers.
The Lakers great and former President of Basketball Operations recently came on Jimmy Kimmel Live and stated why he believes Hurley should be the next coach of the Lakers:
“I want Hurley as the coach. If we can sign him, I believe it will benefit both parties. It works for coach Hurley, who won back-to-back NCAA Championships with Connecticut and has championship experience. He’s terrific at offensive and defensive planning, I believe the players appreciate him, and he’s tough. The Lakers need someone to hold them accountable, and they also need to play hard basketball. Denver will always beat us unless we become a much more physical team, therefore we need to go physical. That’s why Boston and Dallas are in the Finals: they’re both psychologically and physically strong. We need to get emotionally and physically tough.”
Magic is correct in stating that Hurley surely checks a lot of boxes for the Lakers and what they require from their future coach. Hurley is tough and intense, and he developed one of the strongest defenses in college basketball at UConn, which served as the foundation for the team’s championship campaigns the previous two years.
The Lakers are seeking for a coach who can win in this period while also leading the franchise for years to come, and Hurley appears to be the right person for the job. And Magic seemed to agree.
