LA Lakers News: Injured Kobe Bryant No ‘Coach Killer?’ Former Mavs Coach Avery Johnson Says Most Coaches Want To Work With The ‘Black Mamba’

LA Lakers news recently revolved around injured Kobe Bryant being a "coach killer" for somebody without championship pedigree, such as the terminated Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni, but former Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson dismissed those rumors as false.

"There are a lot of coaches sitting on the sidelines right now that would love to have an opportunity to work with Kobe Bryant," Avery Johnson, now TV analyst of ESPN, told L.A. Daily News.

He said that most coaches won't have a problem getting the injured Kobe Bryant into doing the hard work.

"With his professionalism, work ethic and championship pedigree, a lot of guys would love to have an opportunity to help him go out on top," he added.

Although the Lakers missed the playoffs and registered its worst mark in history with a 27-55 win-loss record, one of the most successful franchises in the NBA will begin next season with a blank slate, with only Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre all under contract.

Lakers news is abuzz with the coaching search and TV analyst James Worthy, who won multiple championship during the "Showtime" era with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, said the team has to go back to the basics.

In a SportsNet telecast, James Worthy said of the coaching search: "It's got to go back to somebody who preaches, 'No rebound, no ring. No defense, no ring.'"

Lakers news swirling around revealed that the team is in no hurry to replace Mike D'Antoni who accepted the $2 million buyout.

The L.A. Times' Mike Breshanan wrote that the L.A. Lakers are "planning a long search with many candidates."

But the injured Kobe Bryant, who calls himself the "Black Mamba," told Jimmy Kimmel that he wants input in the next coaching hire since he wasn't consulted with Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni.

"On the last two they didn't," he said. "On the third one, I'm hoping they do."