Byron Scott will not return to coach the Los Angeles Lakers next season, the team announced late Sunday.
Scott coached the Lakers for the two worst seasons in the 16-time NBA champion franchise’s history. The Lakers are making another break from the Kobe Bryant era by firing the coach who shepherded the superstar guard’s farewell season but couldn’t coax many wins out of an otherwise dismal roster.
Los Angeles finished with the NBA’s second-worst record at 17-65 this season. The team lost four more games than it did in its previous franchise-worst season in 2014-15.
Sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Scott was informed by the Lakers of the decision Sunday night during their second meeting of the past week.
Sources said there was a recognition that it was “impossible” to evaluate Scott based on the talent level on the team the past two years, but the Lakers felt they needed a new vision that embraced the current style of wide-open play and outside shooting.
The team wanted to make a move quickly because of how important free agency will be this summer and because president of basketball operations Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak are working under Buss’ self-imposed one-year deadline for turning the franchise around, sources said.
Scott’s contract included a team option for next season — the third year of the deal — that was tied to performance incentives that he did not meet, sources said. A team option was also included for the fourth year.
“We would like to thank Byron for his hard work, dedication and loyalty over the last two years but have decided it is in the best interest of the organization to make a change at this time,” Kupchak said in a statement.
Scott understood that his job was in jeopardy last week. He won three NBA titles as the shooting guard for the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s, playing alongside Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy on some of the greatest teams in league history.
Source: ESPN