USA - D’Antoni moves into Lakers hot seat

LOS ANGELES (NBA) – Mike D'Antoni didn't leave the New York Knicks in a blaze of glory when he resigned from the club eight months ago.

The Knicks were struggling and D’Antoni, who had taken over the club in 2008 after signing a $24million deal, decided to leave.

If his reputation took a hit during his three-and-a-half year tenure at Madison Square Garden after failing to turn the Knicks into a winner, the Los Angeles Lakers have presented him with a perfect stage to prove he's one of the best coaches in the NBA.

L.A., who parted with coach Mike Brown after the club's fourth loss in five games last week, will now be run by D'Antoni.

The club confirmed the appointment after its 103-90 win over the Sacramento Kings – a second straight victory under interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

Famous for his time in Europe as a player with Olimpia Milano and then as a coach of Italians Benetton Treviso, D'Antoni returned to America and was a big hit as Phoenix Suns coach in a five-year run with that team.

D'Antoni had Steve Nash in his Suns teams and with the Lakers, he once again has the two-time NBA MVP.

Nash, the most successful basketball player in Canadian hoops history, joined the Lakers over the summer but is currently out of action with a non-displaced fracture in the head of his fibula.

He had given the potential appointment of D'Antoni a huge thumbs-up last week.

"Obviously, I think everyone knows how much I love Mike," Nash had said.

"If he were the coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well.”

Another Lakers superstar, Kobe Bryant, has known of D'Antoni even longer than Nash.

Bryant's father, Joe, and D'Antoni were players in the Italian league in the 1980s.

According to the Los Angeles media, former Lakers coach Phil Jackson had been the first choice for the organization but his demands were too high.

Lakers spokesman John Black, however, has said that team owner Dr. Jerry Buss, executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak were unanimous that D'Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time.

D’Antoni, who not only has Bryant and Nash but also Spain’s Pau Gasol and Team USA’s Dwight Howard, was an assistant coach to Mike Krzyzewski on the United States’ last two gold-medal winning sides at the Olympics.

A press conference is to be held Tuesday or Wednesday to introduce D’Antoni, who is recovering from the knee replacement surgery.

FIBA