EL SEGUNDO -- Luke Walton realizes he is reporting to his dream job a little late.
The Los Angeles Lakers' new head coach is determined to catch up quickly as he starts the biggest project of his life.
The Lakers formally introduced the 36-year-old Walton on Tuesday, 53 days after they hired the Golden State assistant coach to lead their rebuilding from the worst season in franchise history.
"I'm so excited to get after it here," said Walton, who played nine seasons and won two titles as a Lakers forward.
After wowing Lakers owner Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak in a late-April interview, Walton still completed his second season as an assistant to Steve Kerr with the Warriors, who lost Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.