Title-Winning Former Lakers Assistant Coming Out Of Coaching Retirement To Join Frank Vogel’s Suns
A longtime favorite coach of All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James, who won two titles with him in both Miami and then coached him in LA, is returning to a coaching gig after seemingly putting that part of his life behind him.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that longtime league assistant coach David Fizdale, who also held head coaching posts with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks, has been hired away from his current Utah Jazz front office role to join ex-Lakers head coach Frank Vogel at his new gig, leading the star-studded Phoenix Suns.
Fizdale had joined the Jazz as an assistant general manager for the 2022-23 NBA season, helping team president Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik construct a solid club with intriguing young talent and a treasure trove of future assets.
Well-compensated assistant coach Kevin Young is the other known assistant on Vogel's bench thus far. Woj notes that Fizdale has a 71-134 record as a head coach.
Following five years as an assistant on the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks' benches from 2003-08, Fizdale served under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra from 2008-2016, appearing in four straight Finals with James from 2011-14 and winning two titles. He then assumed head coach duties for the Grizzlies from 2016-17, and later the Knicks from 2018-19.
Fizdale joined Frank Vogel's staff during the team's ill-fated 2021-22 season, although you can hardly blame the results on the coaching.
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