With the skills he showed off in college, it was no shocker when Luke Walton got picked by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 32nd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. During his nine years with the Lakers, he became a fan favorite as a solid reserve, helping the squad snag two championships—so yeah, he’s got that NBA champ status twice! In 2012, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for a season before calling it quits.
After his playing career didn’t turn out the way he wanted, Luke Walton wasn’t about to give up. His love for basketball was too strong, so he switched gears and went into coaching. Walton’s first coaching gig kicked off in 2011 while he was still in the NBA, and he made an impression right away. After hanging up his jersey, the Lakers saw his potential and brought him on as a development coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, now the South Bay Lakers since the name change in 2017. This started his coaching journey, letting him pour his passion for the game into helping the next wave of players.
Luke Walton’s coaching career