Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reports that the Los Angeles Lakers have interviewed ESPN NBA analyst Mark Jackson for their head coaching position.
The Los Angeles Lakers have interviewed former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson for their head coaching job, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Jackson is among the finalists for the Sacramento Kings head coach opening.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 7, 2022
As Charania notes, Jackson is considered a finalist for the Sacramento Kings’ head coaching job.
But Jackson landing the Lakers’ job — tasked with leading LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and one of the most glamorous franchises in sports — would certainly be a real eye-opener.
The Lakers fired Frank Vogel in April after a disastrous 2021-22 season in which they went 33-49 (after title-contending expectations). James and Davis missed plenty of time due to injuries, and the Russell Westbrook experiment was a mess.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Lakers interviewed former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts for the opening on Friday. Los Angeles is expected to interview several additional candidates (if they haven’t already).
Jackson, 57, was the Golden State Warriors’ head coach from 2011-14. The former NBA point guard returned to ESPN as a color commentator in May 2014; he’d previously been with ESPN in 2006-11.
It’s worth noting that The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in April that LeBron “would be very enthused by the prospect” of Jackson getting the Lakers’ job.
And here’s a tidbit to monitor as the Lakers conduct their latest coaching search: Sources say James would be very enthused by the prospect of Mark Jackson landing the job.
Additionally, former Lakers superstar — and current TNT analyst — Shaquille O’Neal recently told Reuters that Jackson would be his choice for the Lakers’ job.
O’Neal said Mark Jackson, who infused a young Golden State Warriors team with confidence that later helped them flourish into a dynasty under Steve Kerr, would be his pick to replace Vogel.
“Mark Jackson helped build Golden State before Steve Kerr took it to the next level,” he said. “He made it a very sexy brand to watch, so I’m sure he can do that with LeBron and Russ.”
Jackson works alongside Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy for NBA games on ESPN and ABC.
