When the Lakers united ‘the big man’ of his era, Shaquille O’Neal, alongside Kobe Bryant, everyone expected them to go all the way. However, despite assembling the deadly duo, the Championship drought continued for 3 years. It was after legendary coach Phil Jackson’s arrival that the LA side got to witness the Larry O’Brien trophy once again since 1988. Continuing the trend, Jackson got the team 5 Championships in his stint as head coach. The same premise has been set up for the Lakers‘ new hope and debutant JJ Redick.

Purple and Gold have not won a Championship since 2020. Last season, LeBron James and his squad crashed out after the first round of playoffs. Soon after, Darvin Ham lost his job and the front office looked at JJ Redick for coaching guidance. The 40-year-old has straightaway declared AD and LeBron James as “offensive hubs.“

For Redick, his journey will tip off on October 23 at 10 pm against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Well, it’s not like coaches did not win the Championship or get to playoffs after Phil Jackson. The legendary coach had to step down and retire because of health reasons. Phil had prostate cancer during the 2011 playoffs. However, things have not been the same ever since. With the rise of the Bay Area dynasty and the odd surprise package from the East Conference, consistency and the LA side have never been mentioned in one line.

2004-05: Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen

Phil Jackson left for a season in 2004 as he was looking to double down his salary from $6M to $12M. Insiders also claimed that Jackson left because of rising tensions with Kobe. Even Shaq’s trade to Miami indicated the same. But the Lakers front office never accepted the accusations. That’s why, during the 2004-05 season, the Lakers hired Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen as coaches. Rudy had a better coaching record, at 24-19, while Frank’s record as a coach was 10-29.

If you’re wondering whether Rudy may have left because of some tensions, that’s not the case. He left mid-season after coaching the team for 41 games, citing health reasons. So it had nothing to do with any locker-room problem. Nevertheless, Hamblen was appointed as the interim, however, they couldn’t get past the first round of playoffs that season for the first time in 11 years. Eventually, the front office brought back Phil Jackson.

2012-14: Mike D’Antoni

At the start of the 2012-13 season, Mike Brown was called to the hot seat. However, despite spending 2 seasons with Spurs, he could not last for even a week! The Lakers fired him in 5 days. After him, Bernie Bickerstaff came in to hold the fort as an interim. Finally, after five games, Mike D’Antoni took charge as head coach. Yet the trifecta of Steve Nash, Paul Gasol, and Kobe Bryant could not get past the first round of playoffs.

The San Antonio Spurs completely dominated them. The following season, the Black Mamba did not play much because of injuries. He only played 6 games and then came D’Antoni’s resignation after losing 55 games in the season.

2014-16: Byron Scott

Byron Scott’s term as head coach brought dark times in LA history. His season as coach had a far worse track record than that of D’Antoni without Kobe! In the 2014-15 season, Bryant even played 35 games, yet the Lakers lost 61 games. The following season, they went 17-65, losing all the hope. Kobe tried his best, appearing in 66 games, and announced his retirement at the end of the season. That’s when the front office decided to sack Scott and move on.

2016-2019: Luke Walton

Walton showed the Lakers better days, if not the best, during his tenure. He improved the win count for Purple and Gold in the regular season. Starting with his first season, he pulled down the loss count back to 56 in 2016-17. It got much better for the Lakers as it further reduced to 47 and 45 losses in the following seasons. However, Walton had to part ways with the team ultimately since he failed to make it a Championship contender, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the 6th consecutive season.

The winning mentality and re-vision that Walton gave the Los Angeles Lakers formed the base for Frank Vogel.

2019-2022: Frank Vogel

Frank Vogel brought the first Championship to the Los Angeles Lakers after Phil Jackson in 2011. It was a star-studded roster with LeBron James and Anthony Davis that only incurred 19 losses during the season. However, the team was back with playoff troubles the following season. In the 2020-21 season, the team lost to the Suns in the opening playoff round. The year after, the performances got worse as the LA side could not even make it to the playoffs after 49 regular season losses.

2022-2024: Darvin Ham

In Darvin Ham’s first season, the playoff run improved. LeBron James and Co. reached the WC Semi-Finals. However, as we all know, the Nuggets crushed them, eventually becoming the NBA Champions. History repeated itself the following season. This time with lower stakes. The Lakers got to meet the Nuggets again. However, nothing could save Ham and the Lakers from humiliation. Ham’s future remained uncertain and 3 days after the last game with the Nuggets, the front office fired Darvin Ham on Friday.

For all this time, the Los Angeles Lakers are waiting for that magical hand that can back them from the sidelines for a long-term, decade-long run. After Phil Jackson, no coach has held a tenure longer than three seasons. It will be worth watching if JJ Redick can turn things around and end the Championship drought for the team.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.