Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 14, 1994 TAG: 9405140028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INGLEWOOD, CALIF. LENGTH: Short
"It's a tremendous thrill for me to be able to work for what [owner] Jerry Buss properly calls the top sports franchise in the world. It's the culmination of a dream," Harris said Friday.
Harris, 53, takes over a team that has been in a steady slide since Magic Johnson retired as a player before the 1991-92 season.
This year's 33-49 record was the Lakers' second consecutive below .500 and it was the first time they failed to make the playoffs in 18 years.
Johnson came back, as the coach, at the end of the season, but he wound up with an 5-11 mark that included a club-record 10 consecutive losses to finish the season.
The Lakers are a team that figures to undergo many changes in the near future, and Harris seemed to fit into their plans.
"We need to acquire some players that will give the coach a reasonable chance to win," general manager Jerry West said.
Harris coached four years at Houston and four at Milwaukee with a 332-341 record and seven playoff appearances.
"The biggest challenge is getting the Lakers back to where they were in the '80s," Harris said, referring to the team's five NBA titles in that decade.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB