The Lakers Welcome Tony Bennett as NBA Draft Advisor
Los Angeles is still busy shaking things up and filling various positions as well as roles. The latest development? The Lakers welcome Tony Bennett as NBA Draft Advisor under GM Rob Pelinka.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on this latest decision by the purple and gold stating, “The Los Angeles Lakers have hired former University of Virginia coach Tony Bennett as an NBA Draft advisor under president [of basketball operations] Rob Pelinka.”
Bennett, a three-time national coach of the year recipient (2018, 2015, 2007), most recently served as head coach at the University of Virginia from 2009-24. He compiled a 364-136 (.728) regular-season record, including a 189-82 (697) mark in ACC play. Bennett guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 NCAA championship; becoming just the fourth former NBA player to win the NCAA title as a head coach.
Furthermore, as the program’s all-time leader in victories, Bennett led UVA to 12 seasons of 20-plus wins before retiring. Under his leadership, Virginia captured six ACC regular-season championships and two conference tournament titles. Bennett became only the third coach in history to be named ACC Coach of the Year four times (2019, 2018, 2015, 2014); joining Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski.
The Lakers Welcome Tony Bennett as NBA Draft Advisor
Rob Pelinka looks forward to working with Bennett. In an official statement regarding Bennett’s hiring, Pelinka states,
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-iQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Tony Bennett is just as excited to get to work and be a component of the Lakers legacy. The organization has won 17 championships and wants to add on to this number. And it is a franchise that understands it starts by gathering the right talent. Especially, since the Lakers are now owned and under Dodgers owner, Mark Walter; who went out and got Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell; as well as Roki Sasaki and now has two back-to-back World Series to show for it.
Nevertheless, with Bennett on board, the Lakers hope to mimic that same successful formula. Which is simple, seek out the best talent. Regarding now being a part of the Lakers organization, Tony remarks, “When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
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