Rasheed Wallace will not be an assistant coach for the Lakers, according to report
Early reports had said Wallace would continue his coaching career in Los Angeles.
Rasheed Wallace no longer plans to join the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff under Darvin Ham, according to The Athletic, which previously reported in June that Wallace had agreed to the role.
Ham, who is heading into his first year as head coach of the Lakers, was teammates with Wallace for two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. They both played for the 2003-04 team that won the NBA title by beating the Lakers in the Finals.
Wallace was initially linked to the Lakers by University of Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway — where Wallace had previously coached — as well as The Athletic.
Ham himself fielded a question about Wallace during his introductory press conference and was adamant that Wallace was still considered only a candidate for the staff. Even while it seemed like something of a foregone conclusion initially, signs started to appear that it might not be a done deal.
One of the initial reports that served as a cause for optimism was that Ham had been given autonomy in picking his coaching staff.
However, when hiring Frank Vogel, the Lakers had similar issues of heavy handedness when it came to the coaching staff. That instance was about forcing someone — Jason Kidd, specifically — onto the staff rather than keeping someone off it.
Wallace, a Simon Gratz High School graduate, was a four-time All-Star during his 16-year NBA career, mostly starring for the Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers while appearing for six different organizations in total.The 47-year-old spent one season as an assistant for the Pistons after his playing career, and he served as an assistant coach at Memphis last season under Hardaway.
» READ MORE: Rasheed Wallace: Man, myth, and now a road in front of Simon Gratz High School
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett recently praised Wallace as “a genius and a mastermind” who would have helped Anthony Davis and LeBron James as an assistant coach.
Los Angeles must now find someone else who can help turn things around after a disappointing 33-49 season.