{"id":80649,"date":"2024-06-07T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T13:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=80649"},"modified":"2024-06-07T02:50:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T06:50:35","slug":"lakers-legend-endorses-coaching-candidate-on-kimmel-magic-johnson-dan-hurley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/07\/lakers-legend-endorses-coaching-candidate-on-kimmel-magic-johnson-dan-hurley\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Legend Endorses Coaching Candidate on “Kimmel”"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the recent <\/span>shakeup in the Lakers\u2019 head coaching search<\/span><\/a>, NBA legend and former Laker\u00a0<\/span>Magic Johnson<\/span><\/a> revealed his pick during an appearance on \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d, adding that both sides are a perfect match.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers Legend Endorses Coaching Candidate on “Kimmel”<\/b><\/h2>\n

Magic Johnson Talks Coaching Search<\/b><\/h3>\n

When asked by Kimmel who LA\u2019s new leading man should be, <\/span>Johnson went to bat for UConn\u2019s Dan Hurley<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want the coach to be Hurley. If we can sign him, I think it works for both. It works for coach Hurley, who won back-to-back NCAA championships with Connecticut\u2026He has a championship background, [and] he\u2019s great with offensive and defensive strategy. I think the players will respect him. And he\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Johnson went on to describe the importance of Hurley\u2019s toughness and what it could mean for the Lakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lakers gotta have somebody who will hold them accountable, right? And also, we gotta play physical basketball. Denver will always beat us unless we become a much more physical team, so we gotta get more physical. That\u2019s why these two teams are playing in the Finals, Boston and Dallas, because they\u2019re mentally tough and they\u2019re physically tough. We gotta get both.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Latest on the Lakers and Dan Hurley<\/b><\/h3>\n

Even after the bombshell reveal that Hurley was LA\u2019s top target all along, it appears both sides will meet until a possible conclusion is reached this weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurley will reportedly meet with the Lakers today<\/span><\/a> as the team prepares to convince him to make the jump to the NBA. Only <\/span>11 other coaches have done it before him<\/span><\/a> with mixed results. The 51-year-old has already cemented his place in college basketball history, building a powerhouse in Storrs that produced plenty of NBA-level talent. Hurley has not been shy about joining the league\u2019s ranks, making such comments as recently as Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Dan Hurley said this yesterday on the Mike Francesa Podcast:<\/p>\n

\u201cI do aspire one day, if the right NBA situation were to come along, to really testing myself\u2026where an organization wants a tone setter to come in and instill a culture with young players and an organization that\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/YapeLTDKDi<\/a><\/p>\n

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n