Luke Walton: Coaching Kobe in his last All-Star game would've been 'incredible'
Kobe Bryant and Luke Walton were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers for nearly a decade. They won a couple championships together and share a bond that will last the rest of their lives.
If you take all that into account, how cool would it have been for Walton, now an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, to coach Kobe at All-Star weekend?
This almost happened, had Steve Kerr not returned to the Warriors' sideline just in time to squeeze Walton out and give the Western Conference coaching honors to San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
Walton isn't salty, but he still wishes he could coach his friend and former teammate (via USA Today):
“How fun would that have been?” Walton, who won two championships while with the Lakers and Bryant, told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s a guy who I played with for eight years. That would have been awesome, to run (the Triangle offense play) ‘Center Opposite’ for him, and stuff like that. It would have been incredible.”
Golden State is 47-4, arguably the greatest team in NBA history. Technically, Walton led them to their 24-0 start and made every major in-game decision on their way to an eye-popping 38-4 record. He was fantastic.
But rules are rules, and since the Warriors' Kerr coached at last year's All-Star weekend, it's only right they fork over the honor to San Antonio.
But who knows? Maybe the Lakers hire Walton this summer, and Kobe decides to sign a one-year deal? Wilder things have definitely happened.
