With Steve Kerr taking a leave of absence to recover from offseason back surgery, Luke Walton will serve as interim head coach for the Golden State Warriors. Walton was an assistant for the Warriors last season. Here are four things you need to know about Walton.
He's The Son Of Bill Walton
Let's just get this out of the way. You probably already know this, but it bears repeating for those that don't. Luke Walton's dad is Bill Walton, the former UCLA and NBA great.
Walton Coached The Summer League Team
Now that we got the most obvious one out of the way, let's get to the most important. Walton was the head coach of the Warriors' summer league team this season. That experience is one of the reasons Walton looked comfortable at Day 3 of Warriors training camp.
"Summer league is going to be a huge help for this," Walton said. "I think not only for me, but for the rest of the staff. We've got a pretty young staff, and [during] summer league we were in charge of setting up everything. It gave me a lot of confidence for what we're doing now. I'm sure the same is true for the rest of the guys."
Taking over as an interim head coach at Walton's age is not easy, but he at least has some experience via the Summer League.
He's The Youngest Head Coach In The NBA
Walton technically doesn't qualify because he's only an interim, but there isn't a younger head coach in the NBA. Walton is just 35 years old, three years younger than the Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens. Kobe Bryant, who Walton spent much of his career playing with, is older than Walton. Not surprisingly (given his age), Walton has ascended quickly through the coaching ranks.
It's Been A Rapid Rise
Walton retired after the 2013 season and immediately took an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers' D-Team. The next year, Walton joined the Warriors as an assistant and is now their interim head coach. It took Walton less than three years to become a head coach, even if it is on an interim basis. That's incredibly impressive, even though Walton didn't technically start coaching after he retired.
He Started Coaching Before He Stopped Playing
Remember that lockout shortened season in 2011? Well, Walton spent the time off as an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers. In addition, Walton might as well have been a coach during the later years of his time with the Lakers. He's got an incredible mind for the game, which is a huge reason the Warriors trust him to handle head coaching duties until Steve Kerr returns.
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