Magic talks Portland job June 06, 2001 BY MIKE MONROE FOXSports.com LOS ANGELES -- Former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson, who coached the Lakers briefly in 1993, said Wednesday night that discussions with Portland Trail Blazers officials about the vacant head coaching job have been “a talk, not an interview.” Asked why he would consider getting back into coaching when his business ventures, including Starbucks franchises and Magic Johnson theater complexes, were thriving, Johnson said it was because those businesses had gotten simpler to manage. “Now,” Johnson said, “it’s gotten like a cookie cutter. You just stamp things out and they take care of themselves. One or two years ago I couldn’t have considered this.” Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets president and head coach Dan Issel has acknowledged that his top assistant coach, John Lucas, will interview for the Blazers job later this week. Lucas did not join the rest of the Nuggets staff in Chicago for this week’s pre-draft camp. The Trail Blazers recently requested permission to speak to Lucas, former head coach of both the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. Lucas also remains on the short list in Cleveland to replace Randy Wittman, fired after the regular season. According to NBA sources, Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson will choose between Lucas and another former NBA head coach, Fordham coach Bob Hill, by the end of the week. Hill coached both the Orlando Magic and the Spurs. http://www.foxsports.com/nba/home/nba_news.cfm?source=st&cont_id=63229 ------------------ One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. [This message has been edited by BobFinn* (edited June 07, 2001).]
Are the Blazers joking? The only way to make that situation worse would be to bring in another big ego. The brat pack needs a calming influence, not a former player who already flopped trying to turn around a star-crossed team. ------------------
I think Lucas could make a positive influence on that team ... if they feel like listening to him. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
