Reggie Miller on how the only reason the Lakers head coaching position is desirable is because of playing in front of celebrities: "It's a tough gig"

The Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job is vacant once again. The Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham and his entire coaching staff after the Purple and Gold were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.

While coaching in Hollywood sounds cool, Indiana Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller doesn't think it should be desirable. That's because few jobs had less job security in the last couple of years than the Lakers' head coach.

"It's only desirable because you're playing in front of celebrities, said Miller on the Dan Patrick Show . " And they're tied with the Boston Celtics for the most championships. But it's a tough gig. It's almost like how I guess the Yankee job was back in the Billy Martin days. You and I remember how the turnover was there for a long time, being a manager of the New York Yankees, because you were expected to win every season."

The coach is always the scapegoat

Martin was the symbol of uncertainty during the early days of George Steinbrenner's ownership. From 1973 to 1990, more than 20 moves were made to the manager position, with Martin getting hired five times during a ten-year period.

According to Miller, the Lakers and the Boston Celtics are in the same category. Because they are the winnest franchises in the NBA, they are expected to reach the NBA Finals every season. And if they don't, the blame is always pointed first at the head coach, who Miller said is a mere scapegoat.

" I think you need to look at who put these teams together, " added Reggie. "If you're gonna clean house with the coach, you're going to have to look at the very top as well. You have to look at who put this roster together. I'm not saying it's all Rob Pelinka. But he made the deals. "

Auditions are about to start in Hollywood

A few days after Ham was given the pink slip, various names emerged as his possible replacement. NBA senior insider Shams Charania has already revealed a short list of candidates who will supposedly audition for the Hollywood coaching job.

"The top candidates, Mike Budenholzer, former championship head coach of the Bucks—Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick, Charles Lee, and Ty Lue is really the big name if he's available," said Charania on Run It Back TV .

According to Shams, the auditions for this high-profile but highly demanding job could start as early as this week. And just like in any Hollywood movie, it will be interesting to find out who gets to land that volatile leading role off the bench.

Related: “That’s garbage” - Draymond Green calls out the Lakers for firing Darvin Ham