UConn coach Kevin Ollie is interested in the Lakers’ coaching opening, a source close to the situation told SNY.tv.
“Of course he is interested,” the source said. “He is from Crenshaw.”
Ollie, 43, spent four years at Crenshaw High School in L.A., where he played basketball.
These comments echo an earlier report Monday from InsideSoCal.com which indicates Ollie is “intrigued” by the Lakers’ opening.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com initially listed Ollie along with several others as possible candidates to replace Byron Scott. The others include Luke Walton, Jeff Van Gundy and Villanova’s Jay Wright, among others.
The source told SNY.tv that Ollie — who led UConn to the 2014 NCAA championship — would want at least some involvement in player personnel decisions with the Lakers.
“He’s gotta be involved in player personnel decisions,” the source said. “Mitch Kupchak has to be willing to involve him in player personnel. He has to have a say-so in that.”
As we reported last year, Ollie was linked to the opening with the Oklahoma City Thunder at least in part because of his relationship with Kevin Durant, who becomes a free agent this summer.
“I think he’s going to test the waters but at the end of the day, Oklahoma City is something dear to his heart,” Ollie told HoopsHype.com of Durant. “So it’s going to take a team to really, really do a good job to get him to leave OKC. You try to put yourself in the best position possible, see all the oportunities out there. I know he’s going to make a decision with his heart. I know he’s gonna do that, choose the best situation for his family, the best position to win a championship. And OKC has a great team, I know he loves Russell Westbrook, I know he loves playing in front of the Thunder fans, so it’s going to take a team to do a great recruiting job to get him away from OKC.”
The Lakers also are in position for a top-3 pick in the NBA Draft and could land LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram.
Meantime, Ollie told ESPN‘s Andy Katz on Monday he has had no contact with the Lakers, but would always listen if called, according to the Hartford Courant.
Ollie said it would take something “very special” to lure him away from UConn.
NUConn coach Kevin Ollie is interested in the Lakers’ coaching opening, a source close to the situation told SNY.tv.
