The Los Angeles Lakers have hired a former Kentucky staff member

A Kentucky graduate assistant is making the move to the next level to join the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Austin Pope, while not related to Coach Mark Pope, was on his first-year staff as a GA and now will make the move to the NBA.

Austin will be the Head Video Coordinator of the South Bay Lakers, which will give him his start in the NBA.

Pope had this to say to Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation about the move, “It means everything. I was born a Laker. People say that all the time with their fandom and things, but it’s just unreal. I feel super grateful, man. My mom, when I was a baby in her stomach, I used to go to games at The Forum, and as a young kid, I would go to church at The Forum and go to games, followed Magic, Byron Scott, and Michael Cooper. So for me, it’s a full-circle moment to work in the organization."

It sounds like Austin Pope wants to be a head coach down the road, and this job with the Lakers organization will give him a shot to head toward the next steps of this goal.

Lamont Butler took to social media to congratulate Austin on the new job, and all of Big Blue Nation will be hoping to see him succeed at the next level. He will be missed in Lexington, as it sounds like he had a great relationship with all of the players on the 2024-25 team. It is still to be seen what will happen with this position on the Kentucky staff.