Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers and ousted head coach Byron Scott didn’t always see eye-to-eye when it came to how he managed the talent on the team. Particularly, many took issue with Scott’s handling of the young players, who are expected to be the building blocks of the future.
As a member of the Showtime Lakers, Scott often used “tough love” tactics that sometimes came across as dated. Some bristled at Scott’s habit of calling players out in the media and believed that his offense relied too much on isolation in a league that is increasingly relying on ball movement. He was also criticized for shuffling young players in and out of the lineup, and for leaning too heavily on veterans.
Scott’s departure was largely celebrated by Lakers fans, as was the hiring of Luke Walton as his replacement. However, in a recent interview with Broderick Turner of the LA Times, Scott asserted that he has no ill-will towards the Lakers organization:
“I hold no ill feelings toward anybody there. I still love that organization and that purple and gold. That’s what I bleed.
He also explained that he didn’t resent Luke Walton for taking the job, and wished the new Lakers coach well:
“I coached Luke in Cleveland. I have a lot of respect for Luke, a lot of love for him. So I wish him nothing but the best, and the organization as well.
Lakers fans largely celebrated both Scott’s dismissal and the hiring of Walton, believing that Luke’s Golden State Warriors-inspired approach will find success where Scott’s old-school tactics failed.
There has been an air of optimism in Los Angeles since Walton’s hiring, and it’s one that will continue to grow if the team can manage to land one of the top picks during the draft lottery on May 17th.
While Scott was reviled by many Lakers fans during his two-year stint at the helm, he has a long history with the organization and it is good to hear that there aren’t any hard feelings. As badly as the Lakers needed to move into the future, fans will always celebrate the Showtime Era, and Byron Scott was a key part of it.
