During the 2015 off-season, former Los Angeles Lakers champion Luke Walton joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant under head coach Steve Kerr. However, with Kerr taking a leave of absence to recover from back surgery, Walton was named the team’s interim head coach this season.
With the Warriors 15-0 under Walton, the Lakers travel up north on Tuesday in hopes of ending their historic run in the regular season so far. Despite suffering their 11th loss of the season last night, Kobe Bryant shared he used to tease Walton about being the next Phil Jackson.
According to LakersNation.com reporter Serena Winters, Kobe compared the two because they were average players with back problems:
Kobe laughing said he used to tease Luke Walton: "Told him he was the next Phil (Jackson) b/c he was an average player w/ a messed up back."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 23, 2015
While Kobe teased Walton during their playing days, he praised Walton’s brilliant mind and ability to manage a team, via Winters:
Kobe on Luke Walton: "He always had a really brilliant mind & understanding flow & tempo & spacing & how to manage a team the right way."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 23, 2015
At the 2003 NBA Draft, Walton was the team’s 32nd overall pick and played eight seasons for the Lakers. During the 2006-07 season, Walton had his best year in the NBA, averaging 11.4 point, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a starter.
Although Walton had back issues in the later stages of his career, he was a solid contributor as the Lakers made three consecutive NBA Finals appearances where they won in 2009 and 2010. When Walton was injured, he would help Jackson and the staff prepare for games, which has made the transition much easier.
With the Warriors off to a historic run, it will be a challenging game for the Lakers to say the least. While the Lakers have struggled and are currently at the bottom of the league for the third consecutive season, D’Angelo Russell has played well recently and should provide a fun matchup with Stephen Curry.
