Fair or Foul? Lakers Fire Coach Mike Brown

Five games. That’s how long Mike Brown lasted into his second season before being fired by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fair or foul?

The Lakers added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to the lineup this season, although Nash missed three games because of a finger injury.

But it sure seems like Lakers management gave Brown the finger—and pointed it toward the door.

The move comes a day after Kobe Bryant called himself Brown’s “biggest supporter.”

“I’m too old to deal with that stuff. I really am,” the Los Angeles Times reported Bryant saying. “I’m really too old to be dealing with childish things.”

Hmm, maybe as a non-childish leader on the Lakers, and Brown’s “biggest supporter,” Bryant could have gone to bat for the coach, who is believed to have been fired at the earliest point in the season in Lakers history. Word on the street is that Kobe’s not shy about voicing his opinion and trying to get what he wants.

What do you think? Was Brown the real problem in the Lakers’ 1-4 start, or is the coach just a scapegoat because players weren’t focused enough to make Brown’s playbook work?

And does the move indicate that the Lakers—even though they may be your favorite team—aren’t the same great team they once were?