INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- With a straight face, Del Harris said he was looking forward to coaching Dennis Rodman. Now, someone else will get the chance.
As Rodman took part in his first practice with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, executives Jerry West and Mitch Kupchak were announcing the firing of Harris.West said one of two assistants -- Kurt Rambis or Larry Drew -- will succeed Harris for at least the rest of the season.
"This is an organizational change; this is just not one person wanting to make a change," West said. "The last two games have been something that has not been acceptable from our perspective."
West referred to a 117-113 overtime loss in Denver on Monday night and a 93-83 loss at Vancouver on Tuesday night.
West said longtime assistant Bill Bertka will handle the head coaching duties tonight against the winless Los Angeles Clippers in Anaheim before a decision is made on Drew or Rambis, both former Lakers players.
Team spokesman John Black said the team hoped to make a decision on a successor to Harris "in the next 48 hours."
Considered one of the teams to beat in the NBA this season following the retirement of Michael Jordan and breakup of the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers bring a disappointing 6-6 record into tonight's game -- the first of two in as many nights against the Clippers and four games in the next five days.
West said he had not spoken to former Bulls coach Phil Jackson or anyone else about the coaching job because things happened so quickly but felt confident Rambis or Drew "will be the person that will be able to get us to where we want to get."