Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesAccording to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers have "finalized a deal" for David Fizdale, former Memphis Grizzlies head coach and New York Knicks head basketball coach to serve as Frank Vogel's assistant.Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN's reporter on Wednesday, reported that Fizdale had been pursued by several teams in search of a lead assistant. He eventually agreed to join the Lakers' team.Fizdale was a prominent assistant to Erik Spoelstra at the Miami Heat between 2008 and 2016, a stretch which included back-toback championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014 led by LeBron James, current Lakers cornerstone.Although the 47-year old L.A. native had some success in Memphis leading the team to a record of 43-39 and a playoff appearance in their first season, he finished with a disappointing 71-134 mark in four seasons as the Knicks and Grizzlies' head coach.His coaching career began in 1998. He has also been a coach at the college and professional levels.Fizdale revealed to Jesse Washington of The Undefeated that he had been through difficult times after being let go by The Knicks in December 2019.He said, "I was in the worst place of my mental health." "I believed the lowest point was during losses. It was only after that, when you think about the whole of: "What could I possibly have done differently?" Was this a job I was worthy of? You feel like an impostor. These people made you feel like you were a fraud. You are a fraud.Fizdale explained that the outcome of his self-reflection was understanding a "deeper purpose", which is helping players achieve their potential without long-term goals. Washington called it "service without means to an ends.""Now that it's something I know, I'm going to go back and recognize when it's happening, and how I can stop it. He said, "It ain't all about me anymore." "I coach to help this child get better. It doesn't matter if I get credit. It's all about me spending time with the kid and giving him the space he needs as a player and a man. That's all.He will return to coaching a Lakers team that suffered an injury-plagued season, which led to them being eliminated from the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns. They were not able to defend their NBA title in 2020.James and Anthony Davis are still under contract for next year. Los Angeles will spend the summer getting well and should be back in the top echelon among championship contenders heading into next seasons.
