Byron Scott Comments on Being Fired by Lakers, Luke Walton’s Hiring

Former Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott appeared on ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols on Wednesday and said he thought he would be given one more season at the helm of the team’s rebuilding efforts, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com.

Scott suggested on the show that there was something of a verbal agreement in place with management that he would at least get one more year, per Holmes:

When you have conversations with guys, you take them for their word. And that’s what I did. Our conversation a couple of years ago was, ‘This is a rebuilding process. It’s going to take two to three years. It’s going to be very tough. Are you OK with that?’ And as I stated, I said, ‘Yeah I’m OK with it. Are you guys OK with it? If you can deal with it, I can deal with it.’

Alas, the Lakers elected not to pick up the team option for the 2016-17 campaign and hired Golden State Warriors assistant Luke Walton to take over the head-coaching duties.

Holmes also pointed out Scott previously appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” and said he was “blindsided” by the decision not to bring him back.

The coach clarified that comment during his appearance on The Jump with Rachel Nichols: “And so when I said I was ‘blindsided’ by it, I figured I at least had another year to get this thing turned around, and I was preparing for that and looking forward to next year….That kind of surprised me, shocked me a little bit.”

Nichols discussed Scott’s comments on Twitter after the interview:

I mean…I really respect Byron. Didn’t get him saying he was “blindsided” he was fired. But he had a good answer. https://t.co/uXby56HnTJ

— Rachel Nichols …

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