Rambis Will Stay With Team in Front Office Job

Kurt Rambis, a Laker assistant coach the last three seasons and a team official in varying capacities since 1994, has agreed to stay with the Lakers in an executive role that will be defined more clearly in coming weeks.

There had been uncertainty about Rambis’ future with the Lakers after the abrupt departure of Phil Jackson, but Rambis is expected to have numerous duties that include scouting, consulting and business dealings, among other possibilities.

Rambis’ contract, along with Jackson’s and three other assistants, expired June 30. Frank Hamblen was the only assistant retained by Coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

Rambis, 46, said he turned down offers from other teams because he wanted to stay with the Lakers and keep his family in Southern California at least one more year.

“I’m definitely going to be back working in the front office,” Rambis said. “No matter what was going to happen, I wasn’t going to move. I got two or three offers to be assistant coaches on other teams, but I wanted to be here for my son’s final year in high school.”

Rambis, a member of four Laker championship teams as a player, rejoined the Lakers as a coach under Del Harris from 1994 to 1997. Rambis went 24-13 as interim coach of the Lakers after Harris was fired 12 games into the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. Jackson was hired after the season.

Rambis moved to the Laker front office as an advisor and assistant general manager from 1999 to 2001 before returning to the bench as an assistant.

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Marcus Douthit, a second-round draft pick of the Lakers, has been offered the chance to take part in a discretionary program that would clear him of any criminal misdeed relating to his alleged participation in a wide-ranging embezzlement and identity-theft scam.

Douthit, arraigned in a Rhode Island court Thursday on two embezzlement counts, allegedly received $6,500 in December 2001 after faking a car accident and filing a false insurance claim.

Douthit and six others were charged last week in a 125-count indictment, although Douthit could avoid a criminal record if he agrees to pay a fine of at least $6,500 and perform community service as part of a program for select first-time, nonviolent felons.

Also, Douthit is expected to cooperate with prosecutors in other aspects of the case.

“He’s down the ladder in this scam, culpable but someone we can help chew up the food chain and get the bigger fish,” state Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch said.

“We would expect him to assist us on that. We haven’t agreed on that, but that’s something we expect of him, not only to comply, but to work with us in the future.”

Douthit was granted a waiver of extradition by the Kent County Superior Court that allows him to travel to other states should he sign with the Lakers.

A senior at Providence last season, Douthit is next scheduled to appear in court Oct. 22. The Lakers play the Clippers that night in an exhibition game at Staples Center.

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Attorneys representing news organizations in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case filed an opposition Thursday to a judge’s order prohibiting “all trial participants” from making public comments.

The brief said that Judge Terry Ruckriegle’s order was overly broad and infringes on 1st Amendment rights. Ruckriegle issued the directive after attorneys for Bryant’s accuser went on two television talk shows Wednesday to say she is considering filing a civil suit against the Laker star.

Times staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.