Brian Shaw says Los Angeles Lakers disrespected him – NBA Update
Current Indiana Pacers associate head coach and former Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw isn’t happy with how he was treated by Lakers management. Before taking the Indiana job Shaw was a candidate for the head coaching slot
in Los Angeles but was shunned in favour of Mike Brown.
Shaw had been with the Lakers for over a decade both as a player and a coach. He thought he had done enough to warrant the head coaching gig once Phil Jackson had retired. The legendary head coach gave Brian his backing, and so
did Lakers super star Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers though decided to hire Mike Brown, the former head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers were reportedly inclined to go for Brown because of his credentials as a defensive specialist, and the Lakers believed defence
was a weak point for the team.
Shaw accused the management in a recent interview of not showing him enough respect. He was OK, with not getting the job, but thought the matter could have been handled differently.
“The only issue I ever had with the Lakers’ organization and the way things went down was the way I was handled after having given service for 12 years. I didn’t get [an answer] for three weeks after they hired Mike Brown.” Shaw
told Sports Illustrated.
Media reports at the time suggested that Jimmy Buss didn’t want to hire Shaw because of his closeness to former head coach Phil Jackson. Buss, son of owner Jerry Buss, wanted to put his stamp on the team and had never gone on well
with Jackson.
Even Shaw recalled how the younger Buss was biased against Jackson in his interview, but the Lakers have denied any such assertions. Lakers owner Jerry Buss stepped in to defend his son when the media and fans raised concern over
the manner of Mike Brown’s appointment.
General Manager Mitch Kupchak has also now spoken to defend Jimmy. He said that Shaw deserves to be a head coach, but the Lakers just though Mike Brown was the better candidate based on his interview.
“I actually think he is ready to be a head coach now. The fact of the matter, in our organization, there are three of us that made the decision. We interviewed several candidates and Mike’s interview was just excellent and we
made a choice and decision as a group to pursue Mike Brown. For me to say anything else would not be true.” Kupchak said.
There is no smoke without fire though, and Lakers fans still harbour strong concerns over the role of Jimmy Buss in the turmoil.
Tags: