It must feel surreal to sit on the opposite bench from a team you once idolized, maybe even had posters of on your bedroom wall, and came close to joining, forging connections with the organization and its owners. Then, out of nowhere, the ‘LeGM’ activates, snatching the opportunity away and handing it to another promising candidate. If any of that hits home, you get James Borrego , now the interim coach for the 15th-seeded Pelicans.

Ahead of the Lakers-Pelicans matchup, Borrego opened up about the opportunity he had last summer to join the Lakers as head coach before JJ Redick landed the role. “I grew up a Laker fan, number one, so to come here and interview for the job was like so surreal and a dream, you know,” Borrego said. “My interaction with Rob [Pelinka] was great, I didn’t

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