“I realized that I couldn’t coach this team as hard as I’ve coached some of my other teams.” Those were Dan Hurley’s own words, a rare admission from a coach known for his fiery intensity. But imagine if things had played out differently. What if, instead of battling through a rocky season at UConn, he had taken the leap to the NBA and joined the Los Angeles Lakers?

The Lakers were in desperate need of a head coach, and Dan Hurley seemed like the perfect fit. A team gunning for a championship, hiring a two-time defending NCAA champion? It felt like a match made in heaven! But just when it seemed too good to be true, Hurley turned down a massive 6-year, $70 million deal to stay at UConn to try and win his third championship in a row.

But how’s that decision working out for everyone involved? Well, the Lakers are doing just fine under new head coach JJ Redick! Sitting 4th in a stacked Western Conference with a 34-21 record, and oh yeah, they just brought in a certain Luka Doncic, a guy Redick happens to know pretty well from his playing days. Meanwhile, Dan Hurley’s dream of a three-peat is looking shaky. UConn sits 4th in the Big East with a 10-5 conference record, far from cruising toward another championship. Safe to say, both sides are living very different realities right now!

At the start of the season, Lakers fans were pretty bummed about missing out on Dan Hurley. But fast forward to now. Yeah, they’re feeling real good about how things played out! Lakers fans didn’t waste the opportunity to pile on the misery for Hurley. And, of course, they took to social media to let him hear it. Let’s check out some of their reactions!

Lakers fans react to Dan Hurley rejecting them

Lakers fans were buzzing after their dominant win over the Nuggets, and let’s just say, they were more than ready to rub it in Hurley’s face! One fan took to X with some shade, saying, “Glad we eventually got JJ Redick. Lakers are a better team now. Dan Hurley turned down six years, $70M for six years, $50M just because he’s comfortable coaching college basketball.” Ouch. Another fan jumped on the bandwagon, claiming, “JJ Redick > Dan Hurley. Hurley could never connect with the players like JJ does.” Another fan heaped big praise on Redick saying, “Dan Hurley could’ve been our coach 😭😭😭 JJ is going to be an all time great …”

Let’s be real, losing stars like Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and Cam Spencer? That’s a hit no team can easily absorb. Even for a coach like Dan Hurley, who’s no stranger to losing key players and still managing to win a championship. The Huskies weathered the storm after their 2023 title run by recruiting well, but this offseason, the story’s a bit different. They were able to bring in just one five-star recruit, Liam McNeeley, but the poor guy has been sidelined with an injury and has been a big miss for the Huskies.

It’s never easy to win a championship, but Hurley’s already done it twice despite all the roster turnover. For Redick, in no way was it an easy job either taking the reins of a team with championship aspirations isn’t exactly a walk in the park. But he did have the luxury of a stable core in LeBron, Davis, and Reaves.

The Lakers faithful are absolutely letting it rip, and one fan even took a shot at the whole Lakers saga, quoting Woj’s tweet about Dan Hurley rejecting the job,  “Dan Hurley and Woj thought they played a perfect hand just for Hurley to miss the tournament and Woj to quit ESPN while JJ leads the Lakers to a 💍.”

For those scratching their heads over why fans are dragging Woj into the mix alongside Hurley, let’s rewind to June 2024. It was none other than Woj who broke the news that Dan Hurley had rejected the Lakers job, sending shockwaves through the basketball world.

But here’s where it gets interesting! Joe Pompliano came through with a breakdown that might just blow your mind. Pompliano took to X, stating, “It’s almost like Dan Hurley leaked all of this through a trusted media source (who literally wrote a book on his dad) to secure himself an even bigger contract at UConn. Woj gets a big scoop, the Lakers get to say we tried, and Hurley gets a huge raise. Win. Win. Win.”The theory that Hurley might’ve used the Lakers job to get a fatter paycheck from UConn seems more real than ever but one can’t say it for sure!

At the end of the day, comparing Dan Hurley and JJ Redick might not be entirely fair given where both coaches are in their careers. Hurley, with his impressive track record, is still a powerhouse in college basketball, even if this season isn’t going as planned. On the other hand, Redick is just beginning his coaching journey with the Lakers, and he’s already shown great promise. While Lakers fans might think they won with Redick now but who knows what the future holds right?