Byron Scott hired as Los Angeles Lakers head coach

MANILA, Philippines – The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Byron Scott to be the team’s next head coach, it was announced on Tuesday, July 29, (PH time). 

Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the franchise, but ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports that the deal is worth $17-million, spanning over four years long. 

Scott becomes the 25th coach in Lakers history, and will now be in charge of the fourth team in his coaching career after serving prior stints with the New Jersey Nets, the New Orleans Hornets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Scott, who has 413 wins in his 13-year coaching career, led the Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, and won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2008 with the Hornets. Scott also coached All-Star teams in 2002 and 2008.

Before becoming a coach, Scott spent 14 years playing in the NBA, 11 of which with the Lakers after Los Angeles traded for him following the 1983 NBA Draft.

Throughout his career, Scott put up 14.1PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG while earning a reputation of being one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the league. 

Scott’s last year as a player, which was with the Lakers, was in the 1996-1997 season, which also happened to be Kobe Bryant‘s rookie campaign.

Now in the twilight of his career, Bryant will work with Scott as the duo try to lead the franchise back to the NBA Playoffs.

During the offseason, some of the Lakers’ key acquisitions included Jeremy Lin, Ed Davis, and Carlos Boozer. The team also re-signed Jordan Hill and Nick Young, both of whom played major roles for the team last year, despite finishing in the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Lakers also drafted Kentucky’s Julius Randle during the 2014 NBA Draft. – Rappler.com