John Calipari says he won't dignify the rumor he'll be the next coach of the Lakers
Twitter was buzzing in the hours leading up to the national championship game between Connecticut and Kentucky on Monday night, but it was for a different reason than many anticipated.
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Instead of focusing on the improbable matchup between a No. 7 seed and a No. 8 seed, former Kentucky guard Rex Chapman sent out a head-scratching tweet saying that Wildcats head coach John Calipari will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Seriously.
Was messin' 'round on Sat nite re: Cal. But word is - win or lose 2nite - it's a #DoneDeal ...Cal 2 La-La-Land 2 coach Mamba's Lakers. #NoBS
— Rex Chapman (@rexchapman) April 7, 2014
Predictably, Chapman was hammered by Kentucky fans. The NBA season isn't over and Mike D'Antoni has yet to be fired in Los Angeles. Despite this, Chapman stood by his statement.
I don't live in some dream world & have alwys called it straight. Alwys will. Let's not 4get, 6-wks ago many in BBN would've walked Cal 2 LA
— Rex Chapman (@rexchapman) April 8, 2014
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers, who currently have a 25-52 record, denied Chapman’s claims to USA Today’s Sam Amick.
Lakers spokesman John Black on Rex Chapman's Calipari report: "I spoke to (GM) mitch (Kupchak) and he said there is no truth to it..."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 8, 2014
Black: "Mike (D'Antoni) is our coach & there have been no conversations that have discussed any specific names about anyone to replace him."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 8, 2014
No matter how ridiculous it sounds, the Calipari-to-Lakers rumor will be talked about until Calipari puts an end to it or the Lakers hire someone else after the season. He was asked about the rumor after the game, and while he somewhat dismissed the notion that he'd go to Los Angeles, he didn't exactly say "no" either.
Calipari on Lakers: “The Lakers have a basketball coach. I’ve got the best job in the country. I'm not going to even dignify that stuff."
— Brian Hamilton (@BrianHamiltonSI) April 8, 2014
Calipari has previous NBA experience, coaching the New Jersey Nets to a 72-112 record from 1996-1999. He also spent the 1999-2000 season as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Calipari’s current contract with Kentucky extends through the 2019 season. Still, this will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
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