Lakers News: 2020 Champ Reflects on Dan Hurley's LA Decision

A former L.A. champ gives his brutally honest take on Dan Hurley rejecting the Lakers' head coaching position.

Sep 30, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith (21) celebrates with guard Danny Green (14) during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in game one of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers came up short on pursuing two-time national champion head coach Dan Hurley. The Lakers took a big swing and missed big time. The Lakers will continue their search for their 29th head coach in franchise history while Hurley will look to three-time with the UConn Huskies.

It's a massive loss for L.A. and a huge win for Connecticut. While some would have loved to see Hurley coach the Lakers, one former Laker player and champion, 2020 champion J.R. Smith, was ecstatic about the news.

Smith took his reaction to Twitter/X and said he was happy Hurley had rejected the Lakers.

A day after the news broke that Hurley had become the Lakers' target, Smith took to Twitter/X, tagged an account he believed belonged to Hurley (it did not), and said, "[Don't] fall for it!"

@danhurleyuconn don’t fall for it!

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) June 7, 2024

Smith says he felt that way because Hurley was in a great situation where he was in and didn't like the Lakers front office state of mind and leadership.

It's hard to dismiss both claims, as the Lakers have made some questionable moves over the past decade regarding roster construction, head coaching searches, and various things.

The Purple and Gold will now head back to the drawing board with two weeks left until the 2024 NBA Draft.

Smith played less than one full season with the Lakers, joining the team in their journey to title No. 17 in the bubble in Orlando.

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