Former Lakers Players, Coach Win NBA Title With Knicks

June 15, 2026 - 19:01

Three former members of the Los Angeles Lakers organization are now NBA champions after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win the Finals. The group includes two players and one assistant coach who all spent time in purple and gold before finding their way to New York.

Forward Marcus Johnson, who played two seasons with the Lakers averaging 8.4 points per game, became a key rotation piece for the Knicks this postseason. Guard Derrick Hayes, a former second-round pick by Los Angeles who saw limited minutes during his rookie year, provided steady backup minutes off the bench in the Finals. Assistant coach Tom Reynolds, who served on the Lakers' staff during their 2020 championship run, joined the Knicks last offseason and helped install their defensive system.

For all three, the title represents a full-circle moment. Johnson and Hayes were both waived by the Lakers before finding stable roles in New York. Reynolds, meanwhile, had been passed over for a head coaching job in Los Angeles before accepting an associate head coach position with the Knicks.

The championship is the Knicks' first since 1973 and the first for any of the three former Lakers at the NBA level.