Mike D’Antoni, fresh off his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement last month, dropped a truth bomb talking to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin: his entire, tumultuous tenure with the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers hinged on one guy: Steve Nash.
The Big Promise That Pushed Him Over The Hill
D’Antoni had just coached Nash for four seasons with the Phoenix Suns, creating some of the most efficient offenses the NBA had ever seen. When the Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown after a rough 1-4 start, followed by a brief 4-1 run with interim Bernie Bickerstaff, D’Antoni got the call. He admitted the biggest reason he took that job, beyond just wanting to coach, was Nash’s presence. “I’m thinking that if Steve and I can get this and put this together, we could be really good,” D’Antoni recalled. He even asked before signing, knowing Nash was hurt, “When’s he coming back?” The Lakers brass told him Nash would be “back by Friday” and “almost ready to go” once D’Antoni signed. That, D’Antoni said, “pushed me over the hill.”
When The Dream Became a Nightmare
But that star-studded 2012-13 Lakers squad, featuring Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and Nash , all top nine MVP finishers the season prior , never clicked like anyone hoped. They finished 45-37, barely grabbing the West’s No. 7 seed, and got swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. The promise of Nash’s return was a pipe dream. Only two games into the regular season, he fractured his left fibula and missed 24 contests. He suited up for just 50 games total, his fewest since 1998-99 and the third-fewest of his career. His assist rate of 32.8% was the fifth-lowest of his career, with the only lower ones coming in his first four seasons, long before his eight All-Star appearances. Cleaning the Glass showed the Lakers’ offense was only 0.2 points better per 100 possessions with Nash on the floor that year. That’s a huge step down from his massive impact in Phoenix.
“Doomed From The Start”
D’Antoni’s vision for a high-flying offense with Nash never materialized. Back injuries continued to plague Nash, spoiling most of his next campaign where he played just 15 games and the Lakers stumbled to a 27-55 record. D’Antoni resigned at the end of that season, and looking back, he’s blunt: “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.” What a brutal look at how injuries can derail even the most promising of partnerships.
D’Antoni’s recent Hall of Fame nod is well-deserved for his innovative offense and coaching genius. But his honest reflection on that Lakers chapter? It paints a clear picture of what could’ve been, and how a single injury can change the entire course of NBA history.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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