Now that it’s official and we are all fully aware that Kurt Rambis is heading over to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lakers.com has provided us with a few great quotes from current Lakers representatives.

Before I provide their quotes, allow me to share my thoughts:

I am quite sad to see Kurt Rambis leave the Lakers. He has served as a great defensive coach and has helped lead the Lakers to this last championship. We all know that offense wins games but defense wins titles. The Lakers defense in the playoffs was a huge upgrade from what we were use to seeing as they locked down the Orlando Magic and didn’t allow them to get any easy baskets. The bigger ordeal however is the fact that it is now obvious that Kurt Rambis will not be the Lakers next head coach. I was looking forward to seeing Rambis’ alterations to the Triangle Offense and creating a system that the Lakers would continue to succeed with for years to come. The future of the team looked very bright, now, it simply looks bright. Kurt: we all wish you the best of luck and you will always be considered a Laker!!

Dr. Jerry Buss: “Kurt is one of the hardest-working and brightest assistant coaches we’ve ever had, and I expect he will be very successful with the Timberwolves. Kurt has been a key figure in the success of the Lakers for nearly three decades. In my mind he will always be a Laker, but we wish him the best of luck in Minnesota.”

General Manager Mitch Kupchak: “While we’re obviously sad to see Kurt leave, we are excited for him to realize his long-time goal of becoming an NBA head coach. Kurt is a true professional and has ingrained himself as a fixture as a player, front office executive and coach in this organization, and has become a fan favorite both on and off the court. I’d like to thank Kurt for his tremendous contributions to the organization over the years. While he will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the Timberwolves franchise, Kurt will always remain a part of the Lakers family.”

Head Coach Phil Jackson: “It’s ‘best of luck’ that the coaching staff sends to Kurt Rambis as he takes on the coaching duties with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kurt has been the workhorse of my staff the past few years. He’s worked with the youth of our team, coming in early and staying late, to help players develop. Last season he took on the responsibility as the defensive coordinator, a valuable part of our championship run. We will miss him, but know this is his time to do what he’s destined to do.”