Byron Scott: A Homecoming

While Scott is not considered a world-class head coach, he is a respected one. The same can not be said for his two predecessors, Mike Brown and Mike D-Antony, both of which were either unceremoniously fired, and asked to leave, much to the delight of Laker Nation.

Neither of them had history with the Lakers. Neither of them knew what it meant to be a Laker. Byron Scott does

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The Lakers are not only a world-renowned brand, they are also, more importantly, a family. Other sports franchises would like to make similar claims, but few can back those claims up. The Lakers can.

There is no actual fact to support this, but there is that feeling amongst the purple & gold, like a fraternity. They take care of their own. Byron Scott understands this as well as anyone. A strong endorsement for him came at his introductory press conference this summer, when many of his old team-mates, and fellow Laker legends stood with him at the podium to welcome him, congratulate him, and acknowledge the finally, management had picked the right person for the job. Scott has also received numerous glowing endorsement from franchise player Kobe Bryant, a rarity in itself, as Bryant is notorious for being difficult to coach.

While the Lakers players and fans welcome Scott with open arms, that is not to say this season will be a walk in the park. This years’ team was put together this summer, and most haven’t played with each other. They will need to escape the stench of last season’s nightmare, when they finished with one of the worst records in franchise history, and defense was nowhere to be seen.

Early reports from training camp are positive, and Scott has vowed to preach defense, and more importantly, hold players accountable for their on-court actions, as well as make them earn their minutes, something neither Brown nor D’Antoni every showed any interest in.

The Los Angles Lakers are about winning, hanging championship banners; anything less is considered an unacceptable failure, and a waste of a season. Brown and D’Antoni never grasped that concept, and the Lakers and their fans suffered as a result. Byron Scott knows the expectations and challenges that await him, He knows what it means to be a Laker. If he is able to push the Lakers back into championship contention, he will once again be a legend.