He did make his comments before the Lakers' biggest upset in NBA regular-season history, so maybe Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton had a change of heart after the game.
But Walton, considered a candidate for every NBA head coaching job that may open up, including the team that employed him as a player in Los Angeles, at least pumped the breaks about a possible return as Lakers coach if the franchise parts with Byron Scott, according to SFGate.com.
Luke Walton May Be Lakers' Top Choice To Replace Byron Scott
"My philosophy on everything in life is to concentrate on what you're doing now, Walton told media in advance of Sunday's Lakers-Warriors game, as reported by SFGate.com. "Wasting time on hypotheticals is exactly what I said: 'wasting time.' We have a great chance of winning another championship here, and that's not a realistic thing for most people, most years."
The Warriors still are in decent shape to break the NBA record for regular-season wins after Sunday's loss. Golden State is 55-6 and must win 18 of its final 21 games to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins.
Luke Walton May Not Even Want Lakers Job If Byron Scott Is Fired
But the Spurs lurk on the Warriors schedule three times before the regular season ends, and a loss to the lowly Lakers is sure to make Golden State's task that much more difficult.
That has been about the only thing that has kept everyone involved in the Warriors organization from extreme glee about how the way the season has gone.
"There is always light joking about everything that happens from day to day around here," Walton said of comments by All-Stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green about the possibility of Walton coaching elsewhere in 2016-17. "Jokes will be cracked, but we know how good we have it here.
"We know what we have going on here is pretty darn special. I don't think any of us are in a hurry to try to get out of here."
Walton became a hot candidate when he filled in for Steve Kerr, who missed the Warriors' first 43 games while recovering from back surgery. The former Lakers forward guided Golden State to a 39-4 start to the season that included a 24-game winning streak to open 2015-16.
But Walton of course is going keep an eye on the team that employed him for eight-plus seasons in Los Angeles -- where he won two championship rings in 2009 and 2010.
"I think they've got some good, young talent," Walton said. "D'Angelo (Russell) looks like he's really starting to figure out the speed of the NBA game. He's playing fluid and controlling the tempo, like he did in college. I'm a fan of (Larry) Nance.
"Obviously, they still need some pieces, but they're moving in the right direction."
The Lakers showed it via their 112-95 victory over the Warriors on Sunday. Maybe the Lakers were just auditioning for Walton, although if they continue to pull off more upsets to finish this season, Scott may just give them a reason to consider keeping him on as coach.
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