His father, John Lucas II, is one of the most respected voices around the NBA, a player development guru and more.
The Lakers are hoping John Lucas III can bring some of those same qualities to the Los Angeles locker room — they have hired Lucas as an assistant coach, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Lakers hired John Lucas III to their coaching staff, sources told ESPN. Lucas carved out a respectable journeyman NBA run at PG in a career that included stints in the G League, Europe and China. He joins LAL after coaching with MIN. … And he has some history with LeBron. pic.twitter.com/BBi8EXjn22
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 11, 2021
Lakers expect JLIII to help with player development and be a voice in the locker room. https://t.co/MiBvZr1Fd8
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 11, 2021
The Lakers had to rework Frank Vogel’s staff a little this offseason after Jason Kidd took the head coaching job in Dallas, and Lionel Hollins did not have his contract renewed.
Lucas III played eight seasons in the NBA for the Rockets, Bulls, Raptors, Jazz, Pistons, and Timberwolves all as a reserve. He had a reputation as a strong locker room guy that could help teams. The Lakers are the very definition of a veteran team with nine players over the age of 30, but those teams need coaches who can help guide the locker room, too.
