Messina is considered one of the greatest coaches in European basketball history, and he is looking forward to using his new knowledge from the NBA in Europe. Lakers head coach Mike Brown enjoyed having Messina on his coaching staff, and he released a statement about the departure.
“I would like to congratulate Ettore Messina on returning to CSKA Moscow as head coach. Truly one of the great basketball minds in the history of the sport, his experience and contributions to our team this past season were invaluable, and we wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
Messina may one day come back to the NBA, and with a great basketball mind, he could be more than just a coaching consultant.