As Player Development Coach Theo Robertson departs the Los Angeles Lakers, in steps Miles Simon to add fifth Arizona Wildcat to the Lakers Organization.
Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton brought Theo Robertson over from the Golden State Warriors where he was a video coordinator for two years. Robertson is returning to his alma mater.
Robertson is returning to the Cal Bears as an assistant coach to Cal’s new head coach Wyking Jones. It seems, according to LA Times reporter Tania Ganguli, that the Lakers are finalizing a deal with Miles Simon to fill his spot.
Lakers are finalizing a deal to hire Miles Simon to fill the coaching vacancy left by Theo Robertson. Staff gets another Arizona guy.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) May 26, 2017
As Luke educated me after a D-Fenders game where former Wildcats Matt Brase and Joseph Blair‘s Vipers had just battled on the court in front of us, “He’s a Wildcat, he’s a Wildcat, he’s a Wildcat,” pointing all over the Lakers Practice Facility. It was a reunion. Wildcats everywhere! And that was then! Now the Lakers Organization is adding Simon who has been broadcasting as a basketball analyst for ESPN.
Simon joins Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton, Assistant Coaches Jesse Mermuys, and Jud Buechler on the Lakers staff. But also, there is fifth Wildcat coaching in the Lakers Organization, we cannot forget about Isaiah Fox, the South Bay Lakers Assistant coach under Coby Karl.
Add to that two of the Lakers Girls are also Wildcats. But we digress.
Simon also plays pick up ball with Lakers great A.C. Green, Green is also one of the in-game announcers for the South Bay Lakers (formerly D-Fenders.) Simon lives close by in Orange County, California. Perfect!
On top of broadcasting, Simon also helped coach the Wildcats from 2005 to 2008. Also, he has been coaching youth in the USA Basketball program (U17) where he led his team to a Gold Medal.
That feeling when you win a World Championship and bring home a gold medal reppin @usabasketball #family 🏀🏅🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/i7IAZ7iZ9O
— Miles Simon (@milessimon) July 3, 2016
Miles has coached Team USA at the youth levels, EYBL teams and as an asst at Arizona. Had him on the pod this year. https://t.co/PxctNxKy1p https://t.co/YwXOSkoGzv
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) May 26, 2017
Last season, The Most Outstanding Player of the 1997 Arizona National Championship team was in McKale with his former teammates and coach Lute Olson to celebrate the raising of his jersey to hang on the walls of McKale Center.
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Relationships are everything in this world, and the NBA, so as a HUGE Lakers and Wildcats fan, this news is music to my ears. Los Angeles is Wildcats Country, now if Luke could just draft or pick up a Wildcat to play for him, that will be something else, wouldn’t it? Lauri Markkanen to the Lakers?