I initially thought Byron Scott was saving face during exit interviews when he said he was sure the Lakers would retain him for the final year on his contract as head coach of the team. As everyone else expected, the Lakers fired Scott and later hired Luke Walton. In an interview with The Dan Patrick Show, Scott discussed his feelings on the Lakers.
To be honest, Dan asked with a leading question, “How blindsided did you feel getting fired or however it played out?” But still Scott could’ve given a different answer.
“I was a little blindsided by it, you know it was one of those things, it was unfortunate, especially for me. I thought the situation that we had talked about a few years ago, that they knew the situation was basically going to take a few years. They had given me the knowledge that hey we’re with you, we’re behind you, we know it’s going to take about two or three years to get this thing turned around. So I was a little blindsided by it but I don’t have any ill will feelings against the organization. I still love the Lakers organization and wish them all the best.”
Next season would’ve been year three of his expected time and the first two years the Lakers finished with the worst records in franchise history. In terms of the different things going on within the team last season, he had this to say:
“You do have a bunch of guys that you are trying to develop and get them to understand how to play the right way. And then you have Kobe basically on a (farewell) tour.”
He was criticized for his lack of development with young players D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julian Randle. He instead focused on Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour. He described the past two years as “very rough.”
