Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach and assistant Frank Hamblen passed away today at the age of 70. Hamblen was a long-time member of the Lakers coaching staff working under both Phil Jackson and Rudy Tomjanovic.
Hamblen came over to the Lakers in 1999 along with Jackson after spending the previous three seasons with the Chicago Bulls. He became the lead assistant under Tomjanovic in 2005 before taking over as head coach when Tomjanovic resigned.
The Lakers released a statement on Hamblen’s passing and current Lakers head coach Luke Walton, who played under Hamblen for eight seasons, spoke about his impact:
“Frank Hamblen was a great coach and a good friend,” said Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton.