THE Los Angeles Lakers have decided to part ways with head coach Byron Scott, who led the NBA club to a franchise worst 17-65 record in Kobe Bryant’s farewell season.

    The Lakers announced Sunday night they would not pick up the option on Scott’s contract for the 2016-17 season. His contract included team options for next season and a fourth season.

    “We would like to thank Byron for his hard work, dedication and loyalty over the last two years, but have decided it is in the best interest of the organization to make a change at this time,” said general manager Mitch Kupchak.

    Kupchak said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.

    The 55-year-old Scott guided the Lakers through the last two years of Bryant’s All-Star career, which ended with a 60-point performance against the Utah Jazz on April 13.

    But Scott won just 38 games in his two years, finishing with the worst record (38-126) of all the Laker coaches who spent at least two seasons at the helm of the once proud franchise that finished last in the Western Conference. The Lakers went 21-61 in his first season.

    The move comes just weeks after Kupchak said following the season that Scott did an “excellent job” guiding an undermanned roster through a season.

    Scott played on three of the Lakers’ “Showtime” championship teams in late 1980s.

    As a head coach, he guided the New Jersey Nets to Eastern Conference championships in 2001-02. After 3 1/2 seasons in New Jersey, he became the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets for five seasons and later the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons.

    (SD-Agencies)