Late last night/early this morning news broke that the Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni as their new head coach. The talks with Phil Jackson had broke down. Everyone always wants to know what the Black Mamba thinks…Kobe Bryant spoke with ESPN & Yahoo after the news broke and reacted…
Mike D’Antoni who coached New York for the past four seasons, resigning last March after a largely unsuccessful tenure featuring just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories.
Nash and Bryant both expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of playing for D’Antoni, although Bryant eagerly campaigned for a third stint for Jackson on the Lakers’ bench. Bryant idolized D’Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D’Antoni was a star player in the Italian league.
“I love PJ but I’m very excited about D’Antoni,” Bryant told ESPN early Monday morning.
“Obviously I think everyone knows how much I love Mike,” Nash said Sunday night prior to the hiring. “If (D’Antoni) were to coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well.”
