LOS ANGELES - One of the more interesting subplots of Friday's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers started in the fall of 1994, before about a dozen of the players on the Bucks and Lakers current rosters were even born.
The story begins at University of San Diego High School, a school about 120 miles from L.A. that no longer exists, having converted to Cathedral Catholic High School at a different location in 2005. That's where current Bucks head coach Joe Prunty was still cutting his teeth as a basketball coach as the freshman coach and a varsity assistant.
One of the players on his roster for the 1994-'95 season was freshman Luke Walton, now the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“How do I feel about it?" Prunty wondered aloud when asked about coaching his former player.
"Old."
During their two seasons together at University — Prunty left in 1996 to take a job with the San Antonio Spurs — Prunty and Walton forged a bond that has continued to this day. As Walton remembers it, they hit it off quickly.
“I had a lot of fun with Coach Prunty when I was in high school," Walton said. "He’s one of those guys that’s easy to talk to. He made the high school experience a lot of fun.”
While Prunty was easy to talk to, Walton was easy to coach. The son of former NBA star Bill Walton, Luke came into high school eager to learn and improve. He was following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Nathan and Adam, and hoped he could help bring University to new heights.
He played with the freshman team but didn't last there long with his skills elevating him to the varsity.
"Coached him in a few games and I’ll take credit for everything if you want me to," Prunty joked. “It was fun, it was a lot of fun. He was so skilled. ... His game just translates because he’s so smart and just knows how to play, knows how to share the ball, great teammate, all of those things.”
During Walton's sophomore season, which was also Prunty's last at University, the varsity team advanced to the Division III Southern California Regional, one game short of the state championship game.
In that contest, against Harvard Westlake and twin brothers Jason and Jarron Collins who both went on to play in the NBA, Walton had a chance to end the game in regulation, but his driving layup rolled off the rim with two seconds left. University lost in overtime.
Neither of them knew it then, but the two were bound to meet again many times over the years in the NBA. For Prunty, it comes as no surprise that Walton rose to the level of an NBA coach.
“In high school, I couldn’t have said he’s going to be an NBA head coach; I wasn’t thinking that far in advance," Prunty said. "But I knew he would be a good player. I knew he’d be a really, really good player.
"I figured he would have an opportunity in the NBA but didn’t know exactly how it would go. But again, when you know how to play the game the way he does — his passing ability was something that stood out so much. … He could make plays and see things that nobody else could see at a non-point guard position.”
Prunty and Walton circled each other upon Walton's arrival to the NBA in 2003 but were reunited in March 2012 when Walton was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers where Prunty was an assistant coach.
Prunty always remembers that reunion as a funny coincidence.
"The colors were red and gold," Prunty said of University. "The next time we joined up — he graduated, went to Arizona than got to the NBA with the Lakers — 'Walt' came to Cleveland. Red and gold colors. It was funny when he came in for his first workout and we were going through it, it was like, ‘Oh wow.’”
Over the years, the two have met in tunnels at arenas around the country as they've continued on their NBA journeys. While Friday marked their first time facing off against one another as head coaches in the league, their bond has continued.
Their time at University remains a happy memory with Walton saying that he's gotten over the thought of having played for Prunty all those years ago. Still, it's an interesting, unique road they've traveled.
"If you do take a step back, it’s kind of strange that my high school coach is now the coach of the team I’m coaching against," Walton said.