LOS ANGELES (AP) -
The Los Angeles Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni
late Sunday night, signing the former coach of the Suns and Knicks to
replace Mike Brown.
The Lakers and
D'Antoni's agent, Warren LeGarie, confirmed the deal two days after the
Lakers fired Brown five games into the season.
D'Antoni agreed to a three-year deal worth $12 million, with a team option for a fourth season.
D'Antoni
got the high-profile job running the 16-time NBA champions only after
the club's top brass extensively discussed the job with former Lakers
coach Phil Jackson.
The 11-time NBA
champion coach met with Lakers owners Jerry and Jim Buss and general
manager Mitch Kupchak on Saturday to weigh a return for a third stint on
Los Angeles' bench.
The Lakers instead
went with D'Antoni, a respected offensive strategist who coached Lakers
point guard Steve Nash in Phoenix during the best years of their
respective careers. D'Antoni was less successful during four seasons in
New York, but at least restored the once-moribund Knicks to competence
before resigning last March.
"Dr. (Jerry)
Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak unanimously agreed that Mike was the
best coach for this roster at this time," Lakers spokesman John Black
said.
The 61-year-old D'Antoni underwent
knee replacement surgery earlier this month, and could be physically
limited early in his tenure. Black said the Lakers aren't certain when
D'Antoni will travel to Los Angeles to begin work.
Interim
coach Bernie Bickerstaff will continue running the Lakers until
D'Antoni arrives. Los Angeles beat Sacramento 103-90 on Sunday night,
improving to 2-0 under Bickerstaff after a 1-4 start under Brown.
The Lakers' next game is Tuesday night against San Antonio at Staples Center.
After
Brown's dismissal, Nash and Kobe Bryant both expressed enthusiasm about
the prospect of playing for D'Antoni, although Bryant also campaigned
eagerly for Jackson.
Bryant idolized
D'Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D'Antoni was a star player for
Olimpia Milano in the Italian pro league. D'Antoni also has been an
assistant coach on various U.S. national teams featuring Bryant,
including the gold medal-winning squad at the London Olympics.
Nash
won two MVP awards while running D'Antoni's signature up-tempo offense
for the final four seasons of the coach's five-year tenure with the
Suns.
Nash and D'Antoni won at least 54
games each season and reached two Western Conference finals - and they
eliminated Bryant's Lakers from the first round of the playoffs in 2006
and 2007, still the only first-round exits of Kobe's 17-year career.
D'Antoni
then coached New York to just one playoff appearance and no postseason
victories. He also coached the Denver Nuggets during the
lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.
But his
NBA accomplishments can't measure up to Jackson, who won five titles and
reached seven NBA finals during two stints totaling 11 seasons with Los
Angeles.
Jackson walked away from the
club 18 months ago after a second-round playoff sweep by Dallas, and
Brown led Los Angeles to a 41-25 mark followed by another second-round
playoff defeat last summer.
The Lakers
then traded for Nash and Dwight Howard, setting up a season of enormous
expectations for Brown - but the Lakers struggled to learn his new,
Princeton-influenced offense while playing mediocre defense.
After
the Lakers stumbled out of the gate while Howard and Bryant missed
preseason games to preserve their health, Nash incurred a small fracture
in his leg during the Lakers' second regular-season game, keeping him
out of the lineup for their past five games and for at least another
week.
The Lakers have improved to 3-4
under Bickerstaff after following up their winless preseason with four
losses in their first five regular-season games, the club's worst start
since 1993.
Despite his reputation for
offensive acumen, D'Antoni's NBA teams typically have played fairly
solid defense, statistically speaking - and they never had the imposing
Howard or defensive stopper Metta World Peace in their lineups.
Nash
had his best NBA seasons as the versatile quarterback of the Suns'
offense under D'Antoni, and point guard Jeremy Lin became a star on the
Knicks last season while filling much the same role.
D'Antoni
resigned late last season following a six-game losing streak,
surprising many observers, and former assistant coach Mike Woodson led
the Knicks to the playoffs.
Phoenix visits Staples Center on Friday.
