“Make the Lakers look like desperate fools”: Barstool owner Dave Portnoy applauds UConn HC Dan Hurley for “brilliantly playing” with LA

Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy commended UConn head coach Dan Hurley on how he "played" with the LA Lakers regarding his coaching decision. Hurley turned down the offer to coach in the NBA and is instead returning to Storrs for a chance at going for an unprecedented third-straight national championship.

Hurley rejected a reported $70 million deal offer from the LA Lakers in favor of his UConn stay. Portnoy posted his thoughts on X recently, and the tweet itself has already been viewed over one million times:

"Brilliantly played. Make the Lakers look like desperate fools and reaffirm your commitment to UConn. Bravo," writes Portnoy.

The news was reported first by renowned NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who said that the UConn HC's reason for turning down the massive payday is because he wants to chase a third straight title with the Huskies.

If he did accept it, however, Hurley would`ve already been among the six highest-paid coaches in the NBA this year. The top five are as follows (via Front Office Sports): Golden State`s Steve Kerr, San Antonio`s Gregg Popovich, Miami`s Erik Spoelstra, Detroit`s Monty Williams, and Phoenix`s Mike Budenholzer.

For now, Dan Hurley has finally put to rest any speculation about where he`s going to be coaching next. He`s running it back for the Huskies this year, which he claims now has its "most talented roster yet" despite losing key championship pieces to the 2024 NBA Draft.

Heading into the 2024-2025 NCAA season, UConn remains a powerhouse with the recruitment of highly touted prospects. This includes dynamic Montverde SF Liam McNeeley, a consensus five-star recruit who previously committed and then de-committed from Indiana to play for Hurley and the Huskies.

Dan Hurley`s UConn contract in comparison

As of this writing, Dan Hurley is in the early parts of a six-year, $32.1 million deal with UConn that he signed last year (via AP News).

Here`s what the school had to say about the return of Hurley to their ranks:

“We are thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn and continue building upon our championship tradition,” UConn athletic director David Benedict said. “He has helped return our men’s basketball program back to the pinnacle of the sport, including back-to-back NCAA Championships, and we’re grateful for his loyalty to UConn."

Numerous analysts say that with him opting to return for another NCAA title run, the school might be preparing a potential contract extension to tie down Hurley for the long haul.