Mike Brown is the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown and the Lakers agreed in principle Wednesday to a four-year, $18.25 million deal, according to league sources.
The Lakers will announce Brown as the 22nd coach in franchise history Wednesday afternoon. Brown, who is currently in Cleveland, will sign the contract later this week.
The development is a victorious comeback for Brown, who was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers almost a year ago to the day. Now, the 41-year-old Brown, the winningest coach in Cavaliers history, is leading one of the most prestigious and successful franchise in modern basketball history.
The contract is a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth year. If the Lakers don’t pick up the option, Brown is guaranteed to receive $2.5 million.
Brown’s union with the Lakers came together quickly. An ESPN analyst and the 2008-09 NBA coach of the year, he emerged as the leading candidate for the vacancy created when Phil Jackson retired after a strong face-to-face interview Saturday with Lakers brass including executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher reported.
Brown, 41, guided Cleveland to the 2007 NBA Finals and two trips to the Eastern Conference finals in five seasons with the Cavaliers, posting a record of 272-138.
While Brown’s teams were noted for their defense, their offensive schemes were much maligned for their over-dependency on LeBron James to create without the consistent involvement of his teammates. Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss addressed the issue of the team’s offense moving forward in an interview with SiriusXM Radio on Tuesday.
WRITTEN BY
Chris Broussard covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. Information from ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Dave McMenamin ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher and ESPN.com’s Marc Stein contributed to this report.
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