The coaching search didn't last long, the Lakers hiring one of their own — Luke Walton.
A pass-first role player who won championships as a forward with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, Walton will try to turn around the fortunes of a franchise that missed the playoffs the last three seasons.
He became a fan favorite after being drafted in 2003, a second-round pick whose hustle and team-oriented mind-set led to mellifluous "Luuuuke" cheers at Staples Center when the Lakers were championship contenders.
Terms of his contract were not immediately known.