The quest to find a new coach has been a tricky one for the Los Angeles Lakers. Phil Jackson is reportedly advising the team in the search process, and some of the best candidates have already ruled themselves out ofthe equation.
There aren’t many top-notch options available to try and rescue the purple and gold. Right now, chances are they’ll have to hire an assistant and pray he can turn the team around after Frank Vogel’s departure.
So, even though Shaquille O’Neal also offered himself as a potential coaching candidate, former All-Star Gilbert Arenas strongly advised the Lakers not to hire him, as his work ethic wasn’t exactly his cover letter back in the day.
Gilbert Arenas Doubts Shaq’s Work Ethic
“This is not a knock against him because he was great, but he was gifted great. He was born big, athletic, and was skilled,” Arenas said.“So, the mentality of what it takes to day-in and day-out be a great player, that was Kobe’s complaint. You know, that I get here at six o’clock in the morning working on my craft and you’re just god’s gift.”
“So will he have the brain and capacity to break down for the lames? That’s not him,” Arenas explained. “And that’s where greats usually have a problem with, making it normal. That’s why Kobe was a great coach because Kobe didn’t have the 48-inch vertical and all this. He had to work on his craft, he had to understand the game, he had to understand angles. That’s why mediocre players make better coaches.”
Work ethic or not, maybe trusting a former star with no coaching experience isn’t the way to go for the purple and gold. Butthen again, a new coach can only do so much for them, considering how poorly their roster is built right now.