Why would Dan Hurley turn down the Lakers to stay at UConn? Surprising, maybe, but it makes sense - ESPN

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the Los Angeles Lakers had targeted UConn's Dan Hurley as their next head coach, two months after he'd led the Huskies to their second consecutive national title and sixth championship in 25 years. Twenty years ago, the Lakers made a similar pitch to Mike Krzyzewski, who rejected the offer to remain at Duke. The franchise received the same answer from Hurley on Monday.

The UConn Huskies coach announced he had decided to stay in Storrs, Connecticut, and continue his pursuit of a third straight NCAA title and the spoils of being recognized as the top coach in men's college basketball. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has negotiated deals with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and other noteworthy figures in basketball. But the franchise failed to lure Hurley from his prestigious post in the collegiate ranks, a disappointment for the Lakers and a monumental development for the future of UConn men's basketball.

Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello break down why Hurley stayed, what it means for UConn's three-peat chances and more.

Borzello: I'm surprised from the standpoint of the Lakers being one of the most storied franchises in American sports, led by one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. Had he made his decision shortly after meeting with Lakers executives and ownership, it would have been stunning to see him turn that down. But once he returned to the East Coast and the decision-making progress started to drag out until Sunday and then to Monday, it became less surprising to see him stay at UConn. It's a lot harder to say «I'm leaving» when you have to go into the practice facility — with jerseys of UConn legends on the walls and