The Mike D’Antoni era is officially over in Los Angeles. The team announced Wednesday night that D’Antoni has resigned from his position as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
D’Antoni, who had one year remaining on his contract and a team option for the 2015-16 season, has been the subject of much criticism from Laker fans, as the team struggled mightily under him, going 67-87 in his two years as coach. His tenure, however, was overshadowed by a very injury-ridden season in 2013-14, a year in which star guard Kobe Bryant only played 6 games. The Lakers suffered through arguably their worst season in franchise history last year, stumbling to a 27-55 record and missing the playoffs for the just the third time in the past 38 years.
D’Antoni’s agent, Warren LaGarie, was the first to confirm the news, saying “We’ve hit an insurmountable impasse and Mike will no longer be the Laker’s coach.” D’Antoni had reportedly asked the team to pick up his option for the 2015-16 season last week, which they declined to do.
“Given the circumstances, I don’t know that anybody could have done a better job than Mike did the past two seasons,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a news release on Wednesday. “On behalf of the Lakers, we thank Mike for the work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude that he brought to the team every day. We wish him the best of luck.”
Mike D’Antoni, while he hasn’t experienced much success in the playoffs, has compiled a total record of 455-426 in his 12 years as head coach of the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Lakers.
While the Lakers have said that they will begin looking for a replacement immediately, no timetable has been set, and they have no reason to rush things, as they have one of the most intriguing positions available in a big market and tons of cap space in the coming years.
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