Lakers fire Mike Brown after slow start

Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

The Los Angeles Lakers have fired Mike Brown just five games into a season that began with the team expected to contend for NBA championship after the additions of All-Stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

USA TODAY Sports first reported the news, which was received in a text message from Brown's agent Warren Legarie.

Expectations soared in Laker Land when they were able to pull off a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix for Nash and a trade with Orlando for Howard over the summer - and with good reason.

But the Lakers went 0-8 in the preseason. They then started 1-4 with Howard still not 100% after back surgery that kept him out most of the preseason and Nash has missing the past three games with a non-displaced fracture in the head of his left fibula.

The slow beginning clearly caused enough angst among Lakers management to warrant the firing of Brown despite approximately $11 million remaining on the $18 million contract he signed when he replaced the retired Phil Jackson in the summer of 2011.

"I have great respect for the Buss family and the Lakers' storied tradition and I thank them for the opportunity they afforded me," Brown said in a statement. "I have a deep appreciation for the coaches and players that I worked with this past year and I wish the organization nothing but success as they move forward."

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the team was not winning at pace as expected and decided to make change even at this early stage of the season.

"After five games we weren't seeing improvement and we made a decision. Maybe it would have changed … with this team, we didn't want to wait five months and find out it wasn't going to change."

Kupchak said two main reasons for Brown's dismissal were won-loss record and lack of improvement from game to game.

Kobe Bryant posted his reaction to the firing on Facebook.

Tough day. I've seen coaches as well as friends come and go. No matter how many years I've been playing, it's still hard to deal with. I had a good relationship with Mike and I will continue to have one. I wish him and his family nothing but the best. I spoke with him today and thanked him for all of his hard work and sacrifice.

Jim Buss, the son of owner Jerry Buss and the Lakers' lead executive these days, saw Brown as the sort of coach who could handle the star power that came with the Lakers. Brown was 272-138 in his five seasons in Cleveland and had the Cavaliers as perennial contenders, but was fired not long before LeBron James signed with Miami in the summer of 2010.

The team said Bernie Bickerstaff would serve as interim coach. Bickerstaff previously has been coach in Seattle, Denver, Washington and Charlotte.

While it wasn't immediately clear who the Lakers would target as Brown's successor, the list of likely candidates could include former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, former Utah coach Jerry Sloan or perhaps even Jackson himself.

"When there's a coach like Phil Jackson... and he's not coaching, I think you'd be negligent not to be aware that he's out there," Kupchak said.

Also a possibility is Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, who served under Jackson in Los Angeles and was a finalist for the job when Brown was hired.

"It doesn't have to be a coach with championship experience," Kupchak said.

Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt