NBA world loses it after reports of Lakers going after Dan Hurley

The Los Angeles Lakers sent the NBA world into a frenzy on Thursday morning after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the franchise is targeting University of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley to be its next coach.

Hurley, who has led the Huskies to back-to-back national titles, has not been a head coach at the NBA level, but he quickly turned the Huskies back into a powerhouse in college basketball after taking over for the school in the 2018-19 season.

The Lakers’ reported pursuit of Hurley was so shocking that it elicited major reactions on social media.

Wojnarowksi reported that the Lakers have been pursuing Hurley from day one of their coaching search.

“And from day one of this Lakers search, guys, it has been Dan Hurley,” Wojnarowski said. “Now, they’ve interviewed other candidates. They don’t know whether they can get Dan Hurley. So, they have certainly interviewed other candidates. They have talked to others. But there has been one focus of this search, and that’s UConn’s coach.”

Hurley certainly has built up an impressive resume in the college ranks, reaching the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons at UConn.

There were several positive reactions on social media to the idea that Hurley could take over in Los Angeles.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie and Lakers Nation’s Sean Davis both spoke about Hurley’s impressive coaching style and his X’s and O’s ability, but they also brought up the intrigue of him coaching at the pro level.

Davis also brought up the difference of dealing with superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis compared to collegiate players.

It had previously been reported that the Lakers were zeroing in on former NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick as their next head coach, and fans and reporters took to social media to voice their opinion on the matter.

Kendrick Perkins also commended Wojnarowski for his reporting on the morning of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin chimed in on the topic as well, pointing out that the Lakers’ coaching decision is such a big part of the news cycle despite the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics getting ready for Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday night.

As Wojnarowski mentioned, the Lakers aren’t positive that they can lure Hurley from UConn, but it appears that there is at least a chance.

After moving on from Darvin Ham after losing in the first round of the playoffs this season, the Lakers are looking to make a splash with their next head coach in order to compete for a title next season.

With James getting closer to 40 years old, Los Angeles certainly would like to maximize the rest of his career – as long as he doesn’t opt out of his deal and leave the franchise this offseason.

Hurley certainly is an intriguing option for the Lakers given all of his success at the collegiate level.