The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that they have hired David Fizdale, John Lucas III, Roger Sancho and Ed Streit as their new additions to the coaching and training staffs.
The departure of Jason Kidd as the lead assistant to Frank Vogel left a rather notable void to fill on the staff. They quickly managed to find a replacement in the form of Fizdale, who is a couple years removed from head coaching stints with the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies.
The L.A. native will be enjoying a homecoming for a Lakers’ team with championship expectations going into the 2021-21 NBA season. His experience on the bench and close relationship with LeBron James made him an ideal fit for this group.
Lucas III is expected to take on an integral role on the player development side of Vogel’s staff. This means he will be joining one of the best in the business when it comes to player development in Phil Handy.
Lucas was notably on the wrong side of one of James’ more spectacular career dunks during his time as a player. He is now joining forces with a bona fide contender after starting his coaching career with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The roster and coaching staff were not the only areas to undergo some significant changes this offseason. The Lakers also welcomed Sancho as the new head athletic trainer and Streit as the new strength and conditioning coach.
Sancho spent the last seven seasons with the Golden State Warriors, five of which were as an assistant athletic trainer. He will be taking over the vacancy left by Nina Hsieh, who had served as the head athletic trainer for two seasons.
Meanwhile, Streit received a promotion after serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Lakers since the 2019-20 season. He had served as the head strength and conditioning coach for Dayton Men’s basketball and UConn prior to joining L.A.
Both Sancho and Streit have a big test ahead of them if they hope to play their part in ensuring that this team is healthy enough to compete for a championship. This includes monitoring the health of James, Anthony Davis, and the oldest roster in the league.
Cooper becomes head coach for Culver City High School
All the changes going on in and around L.A. have not been limited to the NBA level. It was announced that Lakers’ legend Michael Cooper would become the new head coach for Culver City High School.
Cooper has coached at every level from collegiate, to D-League, and professional with both the NBA and WNBA. He will now have an opportunity to cross high school off his list.
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