Harris: 'I Feel Sorry For Lakers'

April 27, 1999 / 9:51 PM EDT / AP

Del Harris, fired as Los Angeles Lakers coach two months ago, says he feels sorry for his former players and assistant coaches as they struggle toward the playoffs.

"People may think I take delight in them losing, I don't," Harris said on ESPN's `Up Close,' to be aired Wednesday. "It would be like taking four years building a bridge, and then they took you off the project. You wouldn't hope that the first trucker who goes over the bridge falls in the river because you have something invested in that."

Harris was fired on Feb. 24 the day after the Lakers lost their third game in as many days to fall to 6-6. He taped "Up Close" on Tuesday.

The Lakers, considered prime contenders for the NBA championship during this abbreviated season, have lost six of their last eight games to fall to 27-19. With the playoffs less than two weeks away, they're fifth in the Western Conference standings.

Harris told Miller he had intended to step down as Lakers coach at the conclusion of this season.

"The irony of all this is that I had determined in my vision we would win a championship, and I would leave Los Angeles in any case," Harris said. "I expected to finish this project and then move on since they didn't extend me."

Harris was in the final year of his contract when the Lakers fired him.

"I did get fired last year, they should have extended me last year along with West, Kupchak and Rambis," he said, referring to vice president of basketball operations Jerry West; general manager Mitch Kupchak and current coach Kurt Rambis. "When they extended Kobe (Bryant), they should have done that with the coach as well, or they should have fired me, one or the other."

Bryant signed a six-year contract extension shortly after the start of this season.

Harris said the Lakers "hung me out to dry all summer," referring to the fact that he wasn't offered a contract extension during the lockout.

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