Although there are two clear frontrunners to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Lakers are throwing another name with close ties to LeBron James into the mix.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports that the Lakers have received permission from the Miami Heat to interview assistant coach Juwan Howard.
The connections of Howard to LeBron are easily visible: Howard was a teammate of James for three seasons on the Miami Heat, including two championship seasons in 2012 and 2013. In that final season in 2013, Howard effectively played a Kendrick Perkins role as an assistant coach in uniform. Howard eventually became an assistant coach for the Heat the following season.
In addition to the LeBron connections, there are also strong Lakers connections to consider as well. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was a bench player on the iconic Michigan ‘Fab Five’ squads that featured Howard, so Howard’s closest superior already has a long-running relationship with him.
The Lakers also have plans to interview Ty Lue in person sometime this week, while they plan to conduct a phone interview with Philadelphia assistant Monty Williams. Hiring Howard, who has never been a head coach, would be a surprise.
