Controversial Lakers head coach Byron Scott coached his 1,000th regular season NBA game on Tuesday–and the beleaguered Lakers got a win for him. (Lakers 93, Pistons 85.) Scott came to LA this season with high expectations, but injuries to Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and top rookie Julius Randle quickly dashed those hopes. Now Scott gets in the news mostly for piloting a sinking ship and not knowing what to do with Jeremy Lin.
The gruesome season has obviously worn Scott down. A three-time champion as a player, Scott sounded like a man near the end of his career–not in its prime–after game 1,000. “Obviously, the main thing on that bucket list is to win a championship as a coach. And there’s no better place for me to do that than here,” said Scott. Bucket list? Isn’t that for things you do once before you die? When the Lakers signed Scott to his 4-year deal, $17 million deal the team surely wasn’t thinking Scott was looking forward to the end.
