The LA Lakers have chosen Mike D’Antoni over Phil Jackson as their head coach.
D’Antoni, who last coached the New York Knicks, signed a four-year contract late Sunday night with the Lakers. Reports suggested that Lakers brass passed on the legendary Phil Jackson, who won five of his 11 NBA championships with the Lakers, because his triangle offense would have been difficult for the team to adopt. His alleged demands of an ownership stake and limited travel schedule may have also contributed to the decision to hand the job to D’Antoni.
D’Antoni succeeds Mike Brown, who was fired last Friday after a 1-4 start, despite one of the most talented rosters in NBA history that includes Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and, of course, Kobe Bryant.
