Twitter was sent into quite a frenzy last night when former Kentucky player and current NBA exec Rex Chapman shared these tweets with his timeline.
Was messin' 'round on Sat nite re: Cal. But word is – win or lose 2nite – it's a #DoneDeal …Cal 2 La-La-Land 2 coach Mamba's Lakers. #NoBS
— Rex Chapmanšš¼ (@RexChapman) April 7, 2014
Take your pick re: Cal.'s future. One, he's gone to LA. Two, if they call – he's definitely listening. Both very credible sources. #potluck
— Rex Chapmanšš¼ (@RexChapman) April 8, 2014
To their credit, both Calipari and the Lakers were quick to dismiss the rumor.
“I spoke to [General Manager] Mitch Kupchak and he said the rumor is untrue,” Lakers spokesman John Black said. “Mike D’Antoni is our coach. There have been no conversations about any specific names for any replacement.”
āThe Lakers have a coach,ā Calipari said after a 60-54 loss to Connecticut in the national title game. āKentucky has a basketball coach. I got the best job in the country. Iām not going to even dignify that stuff.ā
Now we all know coaches would never lie about jobs, right? If someone says they’re staying, they’re staying. Just ask Nick Saban and the Miami Do….. oh. Wait.
Regardless, I’m not here to defend the report’s validity but more so to consider the move itself if it actually did take place. I’ve seen numerous opinions dismiss the notion that Calipari could succeed at the next level. I guess I’m just asking…. why not?
Calipari has never gotten enough credit for the job he does at Kentucky year in and year out, completely overhauling the roster and getting numerous 5 star recruits to buy into his system. I think most of it is the fact that Calipari always gets the best players, but I think forming a cohesive unit out of that much talent consistently places him among college basketball’s best coaches. He has an innate ability to make multiple big names and strong personalities work out in the same sense as another head coach who used to roam the Los Angeles sidelines did…
For those who argue that from an X’s and O’x standpoint Calipari doesn’t measure up, I would be quick to point out that the NBA game is much more free flowing than the college game ever has been. Not that head coaching matters less, I think it’s just a lot less hands off than what you watch when you see Duke-North Carolina play. Also let’s remember, Calipari has not always gotten 5 star recruits with ease. He took a Umass team to the Final 4 (later vacated) and if that doesn’t indicate that the head coach knows what he’s doing at the very least, I’m not sure what does.
Let’s also make it clear just what franchise we’re talking about here. The Lakers. LA. Los Angeles. Flashy is just what they do. While all personnel decisions should be made with the best on the court product as THE priority… you can’t tell me this isn’t exactly the type of move that would make the Lakers extremely relevant again. In terms of front pages AND potential landing spots for free agents.
As far as how John would mesh with Kobe Bryant? I think they would have one extremely important thing in common from the get-go. Desire to win. And desire to win fast. Calipari resides at Kentucky, where anything short of a national championship is considered a disappointment (no seriously, I saw UK fans taking shots at him just last night on Twitter). If there’s anybody who knows pressure and embraces it… it’s John. The funny thing is, I can say the same exact thing about Kobe.
Again this all could be a rumor and have no chance at happening. If so I just wrote 500 words for nothing really. But if there is any chance of this happening… Calipari just might be everything the Lakers are looking for.
