Former assistant coach Casey Owens was appointed as the coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA Development League team.
Owens succeeds Conner Henry, whose was hiring was announced June 10. The NBA’s Orlando Magic announced the hiring of Henry as an assistant coach on June 26.
Owens was an assistant coach with the D-Fenders during the 2013-14 season when they won the West Division championship with a 31-19 record, but were swept in the best-of-three first round of the playoffs by the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Owens has also coached in China, Venezuela, in the NBA Development League with the Colorado 14ers and in the Continental Basketball Association with the Dakota Wizards.
“Casey’s success globally and domestically is critical to our goal of developing players in a winning atmosphere, which will help guide us in our pursuit of a championship,” D-Fenders President/CEO Joey Buss said Tuesday.
Henry had been hired to replace Phil Hubbard. The D-Fenders declined to exercise the team option on Hubbard’s contract for a second season after he coached the team to a 17-33 record.
Owens is the ninth coach of the D-Fenders, including two who took NBA jobs before coaching a game with the team, but are considered by the team to have been its coach. The D-Fenders began play in 2006.
—Staff and wire reports