Bill Sharman?

[reggie35]

Can anyone explain how he ended up with the Lakers? Was there any bad blood there?

[csfansince60s]

I think he was from California originally and he played college ball at either UCLA or USC if I remember.

He didn't coach the Lakers  until at least 9-10 yrs after he left the Cs, I think, and was their GM during the Legend/Magic wars.

I think I remember this correctly, but am getting old, so who knows!

[More Banners]

Can anyone explain how he ended up with the Lakers? Was there any bad blood there?

Not that I know of.  I heard Tommy say before that Sharman's playing career was over, he was looking for a coaching job, they offered him one, and he took it.  He had coached other teams in the decade between playing for the C's and coaching the Lakers...

[hardlyyardley]

Somehow it may have been to LA with the ABA or some other league originally

[Roy Hobbs]

As others have said, Sharman was always a west coast guy.  After finishing his NBA career, he actually played with LA's team in the ABL (American Basketball League) before it folded.  He then got started in coaching, eventually coaching the Warriors in the NBA, and moving on to coach LA's ABA team.  His ABA franchise moved to Utah, at which point he took over the Lakers. 

Sharman had an amazing career.  He was an elite player, of course, and won multiple titles here.  However, he's sometimes overlooked as a coach.  He's credited with inventing the shoot-around, and he won championships coaching in the ABL, ABA, and NBA.