Jackson: Lakers Were Looking For Long-Term Coach In Hiring D'Antoni

Jackson: Lakers Were Looking For Long-Term Coach In Hiring D'Antoni
Jul 17, 2014 10:11 AM EDT


In an update to Phil Jackson's autobiography, he outlines how talks to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in November of 2012 unraveled.

Jackson was intrigued by the possibility of going after one more ring with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol now that the Lakers had also acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

"I was thinking of the job as a one-season gig, but Jimmy (Buss) and Mitch (Kupchak) were looking for a coach who could help them rebuild the team over the long haul," writes Jackson. "They were also eager to turn the Lakers back into the sort of fast-paced, high-scoring team they were in the Magic Johnson “Showtime” era — and (Mike) D’Antoni was certainly a coach who could make that happen.

"The overriding issue, however, was the state of owner Jerry Buss’s health. He’d been in and out of the hospital during the previous several months battling prostate cancer and other ailments. But things had taken a turn for the worse recently, and his family hoped that a turn in the Lakers’ fortunes might bring some joy into his life and, with luck, help speed his recovery.

"Several weeks later, the story came out that Dr. Buss, not Jimmy, had made the decision to go with D’Antoni. This seemed unlikely to me given the state of Jerry’s health — not to mention, Jimmy’s long history of impetuous decision-making — but it was impossible to verify that story one way or the other. In the end, it didn’t matter that much anyway. I was ready to move on."

Via Hugh Delehanty/New York Daily News



bob
MY NOTE:  Yeah, that sure does sound more like Jim Buss than Dr. Buss.  Wanting to give Dr. Buss another chance at Showtime was a wonderful family thing to do.  Not the way business decisions should be made, and it has cost them, but a very nice gesture to the paterfamilia.


.

bobheckler wrote:Jackson: Lakers Were Looking For Long-Term Coach In Hiring D'Antoni
Jul 17, 2014 10:11 AM EDT


In an update to Phil Jackson's autobiography, he outlines how talks to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in November of 2012 unraveled.

Jackson was intrigued by the possibility of going after one more ring with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol now that the Lakers had also acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

"I was thinking of the job as a one-season gig, but Jimmy (Buss) and Mitch (Kupchak) were looking for a coach who could help them rebuild the team over the long haul," writes Jackson. "They were also eager to turn the Lakers back into the sort of fast-paced, high-scoring team they were in the Magic Johnson “Showtime” era — and (Mike) D’Antoni was certainly a coach who could make that happen.

"The overriding issue, however, was the state of owner Jerry Buss’s health. He’d been in and out of the hospital during the previous several months battling prostate cancer and other ailments. But things had taken a turn for the worse recently, and his family hoped that a turn in the Lakers’ fortunes might bring some joy into his life and, with luck, help speed his recovery.

"Several weeks later, the story came out that Dr. Buss, not Jimmy, had made the decision to go with D’Antoni. This seemed unlikely to me given the state of Jerry’s health — not to mention, Jimmy’s long history of impetuous decision-making — but it was impossible to verify that story one way or the other. In the end, it didn’t matter that much anyway. I was ready to move on."

Via Hugh Delehanty/New York Daily News



bob
MY NOTE:  Yeah, that sure does sound more like Jim Buss than Dr. Buss.  Wanting to give Dr. Buss another chance at Showtime was a wonderful family thing to do.  Not the way business decisions should be made, and it has cost them, but a very nice gesture to the paterfamilia.


.

Bob,

What would have been the difference between D'Antoni coaching the Lakers or Phil Jackson two years ago?
They had Nash's leg injury, Pau's issues with his knees along with his pouting that he wasn't getting the ball enough, Kobe and Dwight fighting, Dwight trying to recover from his continued should injuries and they had an underperforming bench.
That team was going to crash and burn no matter who the coach was.
Dr. Buss was the one that wanted a return of the Showtime Lakers. He talked about that often.
Anyway, it's history now.
I am pretty sure Phil is happy he wasn't to coach the Lakers for the 2012-12 or 2013-14 season...

Sounds true to Phil's modus operandi.  Wait for a team that's loaded with assets and sign on to grab the glory.

Sam

Dwight would have benefited more from playing under Phil than D'Antoni, in my opinion.



KJ

sam wrote:Sounds true to Phil's modus operandi.  Wait for a team that's loaded with assets and sign on to grab the glory.

Sam

The Ultimate opportunist

dboss

Something tells me that D'Antoni getting the nod over Jackson had to do with the gigantic egos of Jim Buss and the Zen Master himself.

It will be really interesting to see how Jackson does with Jim Dolan, about as egotistical,  meddlesome, incompetent and just plain stupid an owner as exists in the NBA.

There are some who view sonny boy Buss as the Dolan of the west.

Be prepared for psychodramas on both coasts.