Former Lakers player James Worthy has been hired by the team to work with the coaching staff it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
In his position, Worthy will work with head coach Byron Scott and his staff, focusing his attention on working with the Lakers big men. He will accompany the team to Hawaii for training camp and will continue to work with Lakers players throughout the season. Worthy will also continue his role on Time Warner Cable SportsNet as an analyst for the network’s Lakers coverage.
“James was one of the best forwards to ever play the game,” said Kupchak. “We feel he will be a valuable addition to the coaching staff and will do an excellent job teaching our group of big men. We are pleased and fortunate to welcome him back to the organization.”
An NBA Hall of Famer, Worthy played all twelve of his NBA seasons (1982-1994) with Los Angeles. Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, he concluded his career with the Lakers ranked sixth...
Byron Scott’s tenure as Los Angeles Lakers head coach got off to a rocky start last season, with the team setting a franchise record for losses while playing a brand of basketball that was often times difficult to watch. As a member of the Showtime-era Lakers, Scott was brought on board to teach the players what it means to put on a Lakers jersey, but instead the season ended up being a forgettable one.
Of course not all of this was Scott’s fault, as the team was subjected to a horrific amount of injuries and ended the season with a lineup that was made up primarily of D-League call ups and role players. Star Kobe Bryant was pushed to play far too many minutes (something Scott has accepted the blame for) and ended up succumbing to a...