On the career ladder of the Finn, the names are getting bigger, but the debut as a “boss” in Memphis goes wrong.
Crailsheim, Bonn, Paris, Memphis. The names are getting bigger on the career ladder of Tuomas Iisalo, now the Finn has made his debut as an interim coach in the NBA at the Grizzlies. Two days after the dismissal of Taylor Jenkins, Iisalo stood at the US basketball club on Sunday night as head coach on the sidelines, against the Los Angeles Lakers there was a 137: 145.
For Iisalo, who led the Telekom Baskets Bonn 2023 to the Champions League victory and won the Eurocup with Paris Basketball 2024, the second assignment was the main person. In November the 42 -year -old had already stepped in for Jenkins – because of a mourning. Back then it went against the Lakers – and there was a victory (131: 114).
It is open whether Iisalo has the chance to become a permanent solution in Memphis. General Manager Zach Kleiman answered a corresponding question before the game against La Knapp: “We are concentrating on the Lakers tonight.”
On Friday, the Grizzlies Jenkins (40) released after six years together, who took over the previous assistant Iisalo. Memphis is his fifth coaching station, before the engagement in Bonn, Iisalo had coached in his home country Tapiolan Honka from Espoo and in Germany the Crailsheim Merlins.
The Lakers were able to rely on Austin Reaves (31 points) and her star players Luka Doncic (29) and LeBron James (25). For Memphis it was the sixth defeat from eight games, but fifth is the grizzlies (44:30) in the west on play-off course. With a win, the team would have passed the fourth -placed Lakers (45:29).