In his introductory news conference in Sacramento, newly crowned Kings coach Luke Walton reflected on three tumultuous seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, suggested those years made him better and offered a tactful response to a question about parental involvement in professional sports.
Walton was frequently criticized in Los Angeles by LaVar Ball, the father of Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball. The Kings experienced a far more muted situation this season when Marvin Bagley III’s father took occasional social media swipes at coach Dave Joerger, who was fired Thursday after three seasons.
“Lonzo and I have a great relationship and I plan on having a great relationship with Bagley as well, so that’s not even on my radar at all,” Walton said Monday.