The Los Angeles Lakers’ pursuit of ESPN analyst JJ Redick seemed to be the end of their hunt for a head coach, but when it became known that they were pursuing UConn’s Dan Hurley instead, the basketball world was rocked.

Hurley was set to receive a sizable pay increase after winning back-to-back NCAA titles with the Huskies, but the Lakers’ call on him made him want to leap to the NBA. When the two teams met on Friday, it appeared as though Hurley would take over as the legendary team’s next head coach.

There was a noticeable sense of excitement and nervousness throughout the weekend since Hurley had the potential to take over and turn the Lakers into a well-managed program similar to UConn’s. But in the end, he made the decision to remain at UConn and pursue a three-peat with a team that is more than capable of doing it.

Hurley mentored JR Smith, a former shooting guard for the Lakers who is now at UConn. Smith shared his reaction to the news of his decision to stay at UConn via his personal X account:

To be honest, I thought Coach (Hurley) was in a terrific situation—he had won back-to-back titles in college—and that it would be preferable for him to stay where he was given what the Lakers are going through right now and their past circumstances.

He made the best choice he could have, without a doubt. Smith concluded by saying that Hurley has the makings of one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time:

When the rumors first started to circulate, Smith appeared to be opposed to going pro after his initial tweet went viral:

Smith played under Hurley for a few years at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey, so he is well acquainted with the man. Smith made valid comments when he said that Hurley’s setup at Connecticut is considerably superior to what he would encounter in the NBA, even though it must hurt for Los Angeles to lose out on him.

The Lakers will probably turn back to previously mentioned contenders for their opening now that Hurley has officially left the team, but there won’t be the same buzz surrounding them as there was with Hurley.