Rumors

WHEN LINDSEY HARDING saw Stockton Kings assistant general manager Gabriel Harris approaching the practice court on Dec. 15, 2023, she figured he was the bearer of good news. Harding, in her debut season as the first Black woman to be a head coach in the G League, had already learned to keep her cell phone ring on full blast so she could hear it above the din of sneaker squeaks and defensive rotation calls in case Harris was calling with word of a 10-day call-up to the NBA. When Harris signaled for the 6-foot-10 Chance Comanche, Harding's mind immediately darted to the center's recent performance in the G League's Tip-Off Tournament -- 14.2 points on 62.8% shooting and 7.0 rebounds per game -- as Comanche's ticket to the top.

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With Harris there to deliver the news, Harding's instinct was to get Comanche off the floor immediately, to protect him from turning an ankle and spoiling the opportunity that awaited. What Harding heard next still shakes her. He told her law enforcement officials were there to arrest Comanche. "My mind goes to: Did he get a DUI or hit-and-run or something? And they told me that he was arrested for kidnapping," she told ESPN. "I was shocked because, 'Not [Chance]. This is a joke, right?'"

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Four days later, Comanche faced an extradition hearing in Sacramento Superior Court and was shuttled to Las Vegas. There he was charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in the strangulation death of a 23-year-old woman, Marayna Rodgers. Comanche was with the team on a Vegas road trip in early December when the gruesome incident he was allegedly a part of occurred. Comanche pleaded not guilty in March and is expected to stand trial next year for his involvement in Rodgers' death. In the aftermath of Comanche's arrest, Harding wasn't just responsible for coaching basketball, but for trying to find meaning in something that suddenly seemed so trivial.

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The fact that her team even took the court was a coaching feat in itself. She wanted to set her remaining players up to have Harris come calling with good news the next time. "Every NBA team, front office, staff member, GM, assistant GMs -- they're all there," Harding said. "Of course, there was a lot of disappointment and anger and sadness, but then there was also opportunity, too. So you can't let that take away from your opportunity." Harding and her team had unwittingly become characters in a true crime docuseries, playing out in real time. "Everyone's like, 'You're going to be on Netflix,'" Harding said. "It's tough because I remember the trip. I remember the trip. I remember everything. I remember him getting on the bus that morning ... "I still don't understand everything. I don't know if I'll ever understand."

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So who are the top candidates for the Liberty? There does not appear to be much current momentum for Liberty assistant coach Sonia Raman, who previously spent four years as a Memphis Grizzlies assistant before moving into The W. New York very much seems to be looking for a new voice rather than hiring someone from Brondello's staff, with sources saying that former Liberty guard and current Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Lindsey Harding has interviewed with New York. Before joining JJ Redick's staff in Los Angeles, Harding notably won G League Coach of the Year honors while in charge of the Stockton Kings. Current Mercury assistant Kristi Tolliver is another known candidate to have interviewed strongly with the Liberty, sources said. Tolliver, who began her NBA coaching career with the Wizards and Mavericks while still playing in the WNBA, now has more than five years of bench experience.

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Harding has also commanded interest from Toronto and Portland, sources say. I'm told another NBA assistant and former G League head coach — current Heat assistant Miles Simon — has likewise interviewed for both vacanies. Simon has two seasons of head coaching experience with the Lakers' South Bay G League affiliate. Sources say Portland has interviewed at least one other NBA assistant: Cleveland head of player development Alex Sarama. Before joining the Cavaliers' staff, Sarama had a stint with Portland's Rip City Remix affiliate as well.

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It wasn’t until after practice that the players learned that something was wrong. They were called into a meeting room by Anjali Ranadive, the team’s general manager and the daughter of Vivek Ranadive, a co-owner of the Sacramento Kings. She and Stockton’s coach, Lindsey Harding, broke the news to the team. Chance Comanche hadn’t been called up — he had been taken into custody. “They told us that Chance was arrested, and that was all the detail that they gave us,” Stephens said. “Your mind immediately starts wandering, ‘What was it?’ I was thinking of something small, like parking tickets. Never in a million years would I have guessed what was coming.”

New York Times

After conducting interviews and perceiving inconsistencies in Harnden’s story, the police obtained a search warrant for her home and car and seized two iPhones and an iPad. Then they saw the messages. On Dec. 13, they arrested Harnden. Two days later, they arrested Comanche. Harnden refused to speak to detectives, but the police said Comanche confessed and even provided a “pinpoint” location of Rodgers’s remains, which until then had gone undiscovered. The news of Comanche’s arrest, and the details of the crimes he was accused of committing, reverberated back through his life. Teammates and coaches from high school, college and pro teams checked and then double- and triple-checked their messages — and their memories. Eman Rafalian, who played with Comanche at Beverly Hills High School, remembered him walking into a party at Rafalian’s house hoisting a trophy after their team had won a basketball tournament. “I think he was easily influenced by the people around him, and that’s the only way I can make sense of any of this,” Rafalian said.

New York Times

He had 14 points on five-for-11 shooting. He made one of four three-point attempts and also had three assists and two steals. Bronny’s defense was solid as well. “Yeah, we want him to play on the ball,” said Lindsey Harding, Lakers assistant coach and Summer League coach. “Especially in tight moments, I like the ball in his hands and I want him to make those decisions. You can go through as many drills as you want, but nothing beats live.

Los Angeles Times

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said in June that he planned to deploy Flagg at point guard frequently throughout the season, and Dallas wasted no time putting Flagg in a ballhandling role Thursday. He brought the ball up the floor on the Mavericks’ first possession of the game, and the Lakers sent a double team at him. “That was something we tried: Try to disrupt him, try to slow him down, hopefully get a steal,” Lakers summer-league coach Lindsey Harding said. “We know he’s a great player. We know that they’re gonna go to him. We know he is the future of this league, so we wanted to try to make it a little difficult for him.”

New York Times

Michael Scotto: The Los Angeles Lakers have officially named Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Bob Beyer, Greg St. Jean, Lindsey Harding, and Beau Levesque as assistant coaches on head coach JJ Redick’s staff. The Lakers also added Michael Wexler as head video coordinator. pic.twitter.com/5zo8oT7Qga

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Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Lindsey Harding — the G League coach of the year — has agreed on a deal to become an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers. Harding leaves the Kings to rejoin JJ Redick, whom she spent time with on the Sixers staff and as a Duke All-American. pic.twitter.com/O0O0Gom3ic

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Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Charlotte has been granted permission to interview Sacramento’s G League coach Lindsey Harding for head coaching opening. Harding - a former No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick — was G League’s coach of the year for Stockton and advanced to Western Conference Finals. pic.twitter.com/PlAYLhW70m

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Matt George: Stockton Kings head coach & G-League Coach of the Year Lindsey Harding talks about the recognition she's received, and representing women coaches at the pro level. pic.twitter.com/u7PC1MGhaX

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