Luke Walton Hired As Assistant Coach At U. Of Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn.(AP) -- Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton will be working as an assistant to Memphis coach Josh Pastner in a deal that ends along with the NBA lockout so he can rejoin the Lakers.
Pastner announced the hiring Monday in a move that must be approved by university and Tennessee State Board of Regents. But the coach says the Tigers can learn a lot from Walton, who has been coached by Phil Jackson and played with Kobe Bryant.
Walton has two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who drafted him in the second round out of Arizona in 2003.
His father, Bill, has his own history with Memphis. Bill Walton scored 44 points on 21 of 22 shooting to beat then-Memphis State 87-66 in the 1973 NCAA tournament championship.
Luke Walton and Pastner played together for one season at the University of Arizona, in 1999-2000.
