On the NBA: Rambis gives up on dream job for a chance

By John McMullen

Philadelphia, PA - Kurt Rambis just wanted a chance.

A chance to prove he could be an upper-echelon head coach in the NBA.

So, the former Lakers assistant took the trip from the penthouse to the outhouse, leaving the reigning world champions to mentor the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers are NBA royalty - 31 division titles, 30 conference championships and 15 NBA titles. The Timberwolves? How about one division title in 20 years of existence.

Heck, the Lakers mean more to the city of Minneapolis than the Wolves ever could. The franchise wasn't nicknamed the Lakers because someone in Hollywood liked alliteration, it was born in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes where the George Mikan-led Lakers captured five titles in Minneapolis before heading west.

The Lakers head coaching position was certainly Kurt Rambis' dream job, but dreams often clash with reality.

Rambis is a key part of the Lakers' storied history. During his playing days the Cupertino, Calif. native was a favorite among the team's fans, known as an overachieving, high-energy player that did all the dirty work on the boards and defensive end.

Rambis' thick moustache and rimmed black glasses prompted legendary Lakers announcer Chick Hearn to nickname him "Superman" in reference to the comic book character's alter ego, Clark Kent.

After retiring, Rambis briefly coached the Lakers during the 1999 "lockout season" following the firing of then-coach Del Harris. He achieved moderate success, compiling a 24-13 record in the regular season before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals.

The taste of leading the Lakers stuck with Rambis, and while the team's head coaching position was certainly his dream job, dreams often clash with reality.

The day after the Wolves hired Rambis, the longtime Laker told reporters on a conference call that he could envision Phil Jackson coaching for another "five or six years," despite his well-documented physical problems.

"I saw myself as a viable candidate to succeed Phil above many and equal to most, but this was a timing thing," Rambis said. "There's no doubt he could coach beyond this season. I don't think it has anything to do with his competitive desire or his willingness to coach. There might be some health issues that creep up that prevent him from doing it, but otherwise I see him fully capable of coaching for another five or six years. There were no guarantees. They made me no promises. Phil loves coaching. That team is built to win, so I envision him being there for a long time."

As a result, Rambis passed up the chance to wait on Jackson to come to Minnesota, a young team he hopes to build into a playoff fixture sooner rather than later.

"This opportunity could not be passed up, and I wasn't going to let it pass up," Rambis said. "I did everything I possibly could to get this job, and I'm incredibly excited to be here. I left an incredible job in Los Angeles. When I weighed all the pros and cons, it was too good of an opportunity to turn down."

In Minnesota, Rambis inherits a team with a new general manager, David Kahn, that eventually jettisoned local legend Kevin McHale. McHale, who declined to return as coach after reportedly being offered a one-year deal during the off- season, had the support of the team's two building blocks, Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. In fact, McHale's departure left Love embittered.

"I didn't want to see him not come back," Love told The Oregonian. "He had helped me a lot as a player."

Rambis understands the loyalty to McHale and is already working hard to inspire similar feelings from his key players. He also promised to keep on open mind on the team's roster going forward, but admitted he projects Ricky Rubio as the eventual starter at point guard over fellow rookie Jonny Flynn, even though there's been little progress in the Spaniard's buyout negotiations with DKV Joventut.

"He wants to come here," Rambis said of Rubio. "He wants to be with this organization. The trouble is dealing with his team and the buyout."

Showing the savvy of a veteran coach, Rambis insisted on a four-year contract, giving him a chance to build his own history back in the city where the Lakers started theirs.

"I did not want to be the individual who put in the work, who put in the time and then somebody else comes in and takes it to another level," said Rambis., "I feel like I am that coach to not only help this team develop and grow but then to take it to the next level, where we are winning playoff games."