HoopsHype.com Rumors

D'Antoni chose not to retain assistant coach Chuck Person, a Howard confidant, on his staff for next season. Also, Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who was with Howard in Orlando for five seasons before both of them came to L.A. last year, has become a hot head coaching candidate, interviewing with Milwaukee and receiving interest from Charlotte. One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as "removing the buffers," between Howard and D'Antoni, "which is a bad thing." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chuck Person, Mike D'Antoni, Dwight Howard, Steve Clifford 

Preferring a small staff to the one he inherited from previous coach Mike Brown, current Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni will not retain assistants Chuck Person and Bernie Bickerstaff for the 2013-14 season. Fellow 2012-13 assistant Eddie Jordan recently accepted the head coaching job at Rutgers University, leaving three assistants on D’Antoni’s staff: Steve Clifford, Darvin Ham and Mike’s brother Dan D’Antoni. Lakers.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Bernie Bickerstaff, Darvin Ham, Eddie Jordan, Dan D'Antoni, Steve Clifford 

Mike Bresnahan: Assistant coaches Bernie Bickerstaff and Chuck Person have been told they won't be retained by the Lakers. Twitter @Mike_Bresnahan

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff 

Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said Wednesday night that he intends to keep the assistant coaches from Mike Brown's staff through this season and doesn't expect he'll add anyone to his staff until this summer. "They're good coaches. I know almost all of them anyway. They work extremely hard. We are in a lot. I just felt like, 'They're here, they're good, why change it?'" D'Antoni told ESPNLosAngeles.com before the Lakers played the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. "I've known all of them and I've seen 'em work. They're coaches. They're very valuable in what they add. Their insights. The more insights you have, I think the better you are." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Eddie Jordan, Steve Clifford 

Mike D'Antoni revealed Wednesday he intended to keep assistants Chuck Person, Steve Clifford and Eddie Jordan through the season. "I didn't know Coach D'Antoni," Person told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "But I'm sure he did his homework with those of us on this staff before he decided to keep us on to see if it works. "Mike is real laid back. He asks the coaches how we feel. He really cares about us as people." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Eddie Jordan, Steve Clifford 

Ken Berger: Lakers are in process of appointing interim coach to replace Mike Brown, with Chuck Person having the edge over Steve Clifford, sources say. Twitter @KBergCBS

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike Brown, Steve Clifford 

Former Magic assistant coach Steve Clifford, Golden State Warriors lead assistant coach Michael Malone and Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw are expected to receive interviews, and the DeVos family also may like Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Chuck Person. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Chuck Person, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Michael Malone 

"I have to talk to Mike and Mitch (Kupchak, the Lakers' general manager)," said Messina, who has an option on his contract for next season. "I would (like to be an NBA head coach), but it is something that's out of my control. "The good thing is I have the security to go back to Europe to coach. That's my security blanket." Brown said he wouldn't be surprised if Messina, John Kuester, Chuck Person and Quin Snyder receive offers elsewhere. Kuester coached the Detroit Pistons for two ill-fated seasons before being fired and joining Brown's staff. Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike Brown, Ettore Messina, John Kuester, Quin Snyder 

David Baumann: Multiple sources have confirmed to me that a third coach Dwight Howard likes is Los Angeles Lakers assistant Chuck Person. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Chuck Person, Coaching, Dwight Howard 

Another quality name to consider: Lakers assistant Chuck Person, who interviewed for head jobs in Chicago & Golden State & has strong ties to possible Orlando GM candidate Donnie Walsh. Person, who was one of the few assistants to gain the trust of Phil Jackson before he retired, were together in Indiana. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Chuck Person, Coaching 

Players were invited to speak after Lakers assistant coaches John Kuester and Chuck Person left strong impressions. Part of the assistant coaches' message was urging the players to curtail any "external chatter," according to a source. When no player volunteered to speak up, Brown said he requested that "my three leaders" share their thoughts; first Pau Gasol, then Derek Fisher and finally Kobe Bryant. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Chuck Person, Derek Fisher, Coaching, Mike Brown, John Kuester 

Distancing himself from those offenses was part of the impetus for World Peace's name change, which became official in September after a 30-second hearing inside Los Angeles Superior Court. His new first name is a Buddhist term that means loving kindness and friendliness toward others. "He was getting away from the person that he's seen as possibly being evil in his life, so he made the name change to start a new path," said Lakers assistant Chuck Person, a longtime confidant. "Hopefully, this path will be a more consistent path and he can be the person he always wanted to be." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Metta World Peace 

"Sometimes when we don't understand somebody, it creates a sense of fear in people," Person said. "And I think Metta sometimes comes across like that because people don't understand him. "But Metta is one of the best and most giving people I've ever been around and probably too much. He gives of himself to anyone that asks because Metta believes in people and helping the soul of a person and that's where people lose the message that he tries to portray." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Metta World Peace 

Whenever Lakers assistant coach Chuck Person – known as “The Rifleman” in his playing days for his shooting skill and propensity – runs into Lakers legend Jerry West, he says the same, simple thing: “Thank you.” You see, when Person was 15 years old, he traveled about two hours from his hometown of Brantley, Alabama, to Auburn University for then head coach Sonny Smith’s basketball camp. Who else but Mr. Clutch happened to be a guest coach/speaker that summer? Person, then a 6-4 post player who’d soon grow to be 6-8, revealed the massive impact West had on his future. "Jerry West was the guy who basically taught me how to shoot properly,” Person recalls some 32 years later. “The drills he did on the floor that day and the speech he gave had a great impact on my life. I remember everything that he had to say about the game and about the art of shooting and how to be successful if you had the opportunity to advance your career.” NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Jerry West 

What responsibilities has Brown assigned to you? This can range from any opponents he’s put you in charge of scouting or certain team responsibilities. What’s your overall philosophy on those areas you’re going to oversee? Chuck Person: "It will be different from what Phil [Jackson] had us do. Phil gave us each certain teams to scout, where Mike has us each learn the entire league. Our scouting responsibilities will be on a game-by-game basis, we’ll just rotate it that way. In terms of personal assignments, we are just going to coach the team. All coaches are required to know both sides of the ball; obviously we have our different strengths we bring to the table. My strength is on the defensive side of the ball. The system we are going to implement will be similar to last season because it’s a system I learned from Mike Brown. So there won’t be much change in the defensive philosophy." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike Brown 

What elements will be similar to last season and what elements will be different? "I think the basic scheme will be the same. We’ll keep the ball out of the middle of the floor, force the ball baseline without getting beat, come over from the weak side to do what we call “trap the box,” and make sure the ball stays out of the paint. We are going to shrink the floor and invite opponents to shoot with a contested hand on every shot, so that won’t change from last year. What will change is we will have the players be held more accountable for executing our defensive philosophy and defensive game plans from game-to-game. Mike won’t have any leniency when it comes to that end of the floor. He’ll allow them to make some mistakes offensively, but there won’t be much room defensively for guys to go off on their own and do things outside of the defensive system that we implement." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike Brown 

Kevin Ding: Lakers officially sign Chuck Person and Quin Snyder as assistant coaches. Person: "I know what this team is capable of." Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Quin Snyder 

Mike Brown hired John Kuester as an assistant coach, the Lakers announced Wednesday afternoon, the first of what figures to be several additions to their coaching staff. Brown and Kuester worked together while with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chuck Person, who served as an assistant to Phil Jackson the last two seasons, is believed to be on Brown's list of candidates as the new Lakers coach fills out his coaching staff. Jim Boylen, a former University of Utah coach, is another. Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike Brown, John Kuester 

Sam Amick: According to a league source, Chuck Person will be finalizing a deal to return to the Lakers as an assistant in the coming days. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching 

Scott Roth, who also was a candidate for a spot on the Lakers' bench, is expected to stay in Toronto and join Dwane Casey's Raptors. Toronto, officially made Casey its new coach on Tuesday. Chuck Person also has been offered a chance to remain with the Lakers, a source said. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Scott Roth