Mike D’Antoni just dropped a bombshell, admitting the biggest reason he took the Los Angeles Lakers coaching gig back in 2012 was because of Steve Nash. Yeah, you read that right. The guy who coached the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns, the architect of that high-octane offense, confessed in a recent ESPN interview that Nash’s presence on the team was the “biggest reason” he signed on the dotted line, thinking they could be “really good” together. Talk about a high-stakes bet that went south fast.
The “Superteam” That Never Was
Remember the summer of 2012? The Lakers were supposed to be back! They went all in, trading for Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to give Kobe Bryant the support he needed for another NBA championship. The hype was real. But then, in just his second game, Nash, one of the best point guards ever, fractured his left leg and missed almost seven weeks. The team sputtered to a 1-4 start, Mike Brown got fired, and everyone thought Phil Jackson was coming back to save the day. Nope. Instead, they tapped D’Antoni. This dude was basically told, “Hey, Steve’s hurt, but he’ll be back by Friday, ready to go when you sign!” That promise, D’Antoni said, “kind of pushed me over the hill.” What a wild promise, especially looking back now.
A Season Plagued By Disaster
Except, that promise turned out to be a total bust. D’Antoni himself admitted, “Well, Steve never really came back. And even when he did come back, he was about half himself. And so it was doomed from the start.” Nash finally returned on December 22nd, and while he played alongside Bryant, his season averages of 12.7 points and 6.7 assists per game were nowhere near his Suns numbers. The Lakers did start playing better, winning 28 of their last 40 games, but it felt like nothing was ever truly right. A “gnarly rash of injuries” hit them all year, culminating in Kobe Bryant’s torn Achilles on April 12th. Absolutely brutal. The team finished 45-37, got swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, and Dwight Howard bounced in free agency a couple months later.
This wasn’t just a tough season; it sent the franchise into its “darkest chapter,” missing the playoffs six straight times before finally winning it all in 2020. D’Antoni resigned in 2014 after one more season, later leading the Houston Rockets in 2016. Nash played only 15 games the next year before retiring, eventually becoming the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach in 2020, with D’Antoni even serving as his assistant for a season. Talk about a full circle, but for D’Antoni, that initial Lakers gamble on Nash was a total brick. What a wild ride those two had, from hopeful beginnings to a confession that reveals the entire L.A. superteam was cursed before it even really began.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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