The Los Angeles Lakers have added to their coaching staff by hiring former NBA head coach Lionel Hollins, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers are hiring Lionel Hollins as an assistant coach, league sources tell ESPN. Hollins is the all-time winningest coach in Memphis and also led Brooklyn to the playoffs. Hollins joins Jason Kidd on Frank Vogel’s new staff.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 4, 2019
Hollins is a veteran head coach best known for his time leading the Memphis Grizzlies for five years. He last coached in the NBA during the 2015-16 season for the Brooklyn Nets.
Over his nine seasons coaching in the NBA, Hollins has accumulated a 262-272 record.
Hollins was one of several candidates added to the Lakers’ coaching search after the franchise missed out on both Tyronn Lue and Monty Williams, presumed to be their top two candidates.
The team ended up hiring Frank Vogel to a three-year deal and adding Jason Kidd to his coaching staff with reportedly the highest-paying assistant coaching contract in the league.
The Lakers seem to be going with experience over youth in their assistant coaching search as the lack thereof was a major concern and weakness during Luke Walton’s tenure in Los Angeles. Hollins brings 26 years of experience as both a head coach and assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, Vancouver and Memphis Grizzlies, and Brooklyn Nets.
I well remember him with the chapmioinship teams put together with Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton. They had one heck of a defense. My mind’s eye image of him is not shooting, it is bringing the ball up the court. He appeared to be modest but very competitive.