L.A. Times: Kobe Bryant is trying to nail down a second consecutive most-valuable-player trophy, but he won’t be the only one in the Lakers’ franchise considered for an award.
General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Phil Jackson will get some support for executive of the year and coach of the year, respectively.
“We’ll finish up either with the best or second-best record in the league,” forward Lamar Odom said. “They did their jobs.”
Kupchak presided over the trades for Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza last season, not to mention the drafting of Andrew Bynum with the 10th overall pick in 2005.
Kupchak, in his ninth season as the head of basketball operations for the Lakers, has never won the award, which is determined by a vote of about 125 media members. Kupchak finished second last season to Boston’s Danny Ainge.
Jackson has won nine NBA championships but has been coach of the year only once in his 18-year career, when the Chicago Bulls went a record-setting 72-10 on the way to the 1996 NBA championship.
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