Master P is making his pitch to become the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. In a brief interview with TMZ, the founder of No Limit Records shared his desire to take his basketball knowledge to the Lakers franchise.
“This Hollywood, anything can happen out here. I don’t know [owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers] Jeannie Buss tell her to bring me up for an interview,” he said. “Bring me in, I can help get us some Ws, championships.”
“I’ll bring some hell of assistant coaches with me,” continued the entrepreneur, who had a short stint on both the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors. “Shaq, John Lucas. I don’t know if Shaq wants to do that, but if he do, we can take over. I can’t see another team like that.”
Master P’s desire to instruct the Lakers comes on the heels of the termination of former head coach Frank Vogel. The news was leaked to the media shortly after the team’s final game of the season and before Vogel was made aware of his fate. The way in which the news was delivered has been criticized by the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Doc Rivers, but officials claim they were in need of a new leader following what turned out to be one of the Lakers’ most underwhelming seasons.
“This was a disappointing Lakers season at every level,” general manager Rob Pelinka told ESPN. “In the face of disappointment, our fans expect more, and that’s in every facet. It starts in the front office led by me, and our ability to construct the right roster. It starts with the coaches holding players accountable and making sure there’s on-court execution.”
The LA-based team finished the season with a 33-49 record and is excluded from this year’s playoffs. Per the New York Times, this marks the seventh time they have missed the playoffs in the last nine years. While making his pitch, Master P admitted that the Lakers’ performance was out of the ordinary for the team’s players.
“We ain’t even used to that. I’m a big fan of the Lakers from Magic Johnson to all the greats that have been there, Kobe Bryant,” he said. “We’ve never seen like this before.” He added that he and Shaq would lead the team to “straight championships.”
See Master P make his full pitch below.