“Friction?… I just couldn’t get them on the same page, they didn’t like each other, it was contentious” - Mike D’Antoni on the difficulties of coaching the 2012-13 LA Lakers
The LA Lakers have been one of the most disappointing teams in NBA history this season, but the 2012-13 Lakers team might rival them.
Mike D’Antoni, who coached that team, went on JJ Redick’s podcast and talked about his time coaching there.
D’Antoni is one of the NBA's best offensive minds, leading the Phoenix Suns into their seven-seconds-or-less offense leading to back-to-back MVPs for star nash" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Steve Nash. He also manufactured the Houston Rockets offense that turned James Harden into the player he is today.
D'Antoni coached the Lakers for two seasons from 2012-14, winning 67 games, with one playoff appearance in which they got swept. The team had four potential Hall of Famers in kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kobe Bryant, Nash, Pau Gasol and dwight-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Dwight Howard. The team was derailed by injuries and personalities that did not mix.
On the podcast, D’Antoni told Redick:
“Friction? I thought I was gonna get killed. … I just couldn't get them on the same page. They didn't like each other. It was contentious. We didn't really have the talent. You know, you want to play Steve, but he wasn't up to it, then he wasn't even there.
"Kobe was older. He was toward the end, still good, still great, unbelievable, but very tough personality. He and Dwight didn't mesh. ... A lot of things just didn't work.”
After making it to three straight NBA Finals and two championships from 2007-10, the Lakers then lost in the Western Conference semifinals for two seasons. They went out for big-name players that offseason, getting Howard and Nash, and then made D’Antoni the coach 10 games into the season.
The comparisons between D’Antoni's LA Lakers and this year’s team
The similarities between these two LA Lakers teams are kind of surprising. Strangely enough, around 10 years apart, Dwight Howard played for both teams.
Both teams also had two of NBA legends nearing the ends of their careers. LeBron James is 37 years old, while Kobe Bryant was 34. Both led their teams in scoring.
LeBron James this season:
30.3 PPG
8.2 RPG
6.2 APG
1.3 SPG
1.1 BPG
52% FG https://t.co/rn3glKICZr
Bryant tore his Achilles tendon close to the end of the season, leading to a 27-55 record the following season. Even though this was a late injury, it led to a sweep in the playoffs and a horrible season the following year.
At the time, that was the most losses in franchise history. The 2013-14 season kicked off a run of six consecutive losing seasons, including four in a row with at least 55.
This year, the Lakers had to deal with injuries between James and Anthony Davis. James played 56 games, while Davis made 40.
At least the 2012-13 Lakers made the playoffs, which cannot be said for this year's team.