When the Los Angeles Lakers hired Luke Walton in 2016, it marked a new era in franchise history. After suffering its worst season by record the previous year under former head coach Byron Scott, Walton came with optimism that the tide would soon change.
Walton, considered one the brightest minds in basketball, returned to the organization where he won two championships as a player over nine seasons. More impressively, despite being the youngest head coach in the NBA, he already had a championship under his belt as an assistant coach to Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors.