If you wanted the Los Angeles Lakers to sign Mike D’Antoni over Phil Jackson, you were like me. Together, we were also two of the few.
But that’s neither he nor there anymore. Choosing Jackson over D’Antoni wouldn’t have been a bad decision. I was (and still am) just of the mind that the organization needed to move on. The Zen Master coached them to five championships and helped the Lakers add more color to their already illustrious history. It was just time.
With Los Angeles running the risk of missing the playoffs for just the second time since Kobe Bryant joined the team 17 years ago, those pining for Jackson’s return haven’t ceased. Their appetite for more of his Zen hasn’t been satiated. They still want him back.
That much was clear when Jackson returned to the Staples Center to see the Lakers retire Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey.
The Los Angeles faithful began chanting “We Want Phil,” because of course they did. Jerry Buss had poured $100 million into this roster before passing away, and missing the playoffs wasn’t factored into that kind of budget.
For anyone, hearing incessant calls for your predecessor to reclaim his position won’t feel good. And I’d imagine it’s much worse when those “incessant calls” are coming from thousands of people.
D’Antoni, however, took it in stride after the game, encouraging the chants even.
D’Antoni on the ‘We want Phil!’ chant: “He only won 58 rings, why wouldn’t they?”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2013
You can’t handle this particular situation any better than D’Antoni has.
At times, mostly after losses, he’s been visibly frustrated with the state of his team and openly critical. And that’s awesome. While some would construe it as stepping over the line or general unhappiness with his current position, I see it as ballsy, as fearless.
Just because nearly everyone under the California sun wanted Jackson instead of him, he can’t tip toe on broken glass. He’s got to be able to coach. He’s done that. The Lakers’ record may not necessarily reflect it, but he’s done his job. Los Angeles has incurred an inordinate number of injuries, and while one would expect the team to be in a better state than it is now, D’Antoni has brought the Lakers back from the depths of as hell, also known as 17-25.
And he’s done this amidst such chants. He’s not oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t Los Angeles’ first option. He understands that if Jackson and the Lakers had been a contractual match this time around, he would be the one walking the sidelines, not D’Antoni.
From the moment he’s taken this job, he’s embraced the culture and remained a humble slave to Los Angeles’ expectations. Through all the smog that has often become the Lakers’ outlook, through all the “We Want Phil” pleas, he’s been consistent.
Will he ultimately guide the Lakers into the playoffs? We don’t know. Will he definitely be back next season? Again, we don’t know.
Is he bothered by the fact that nearly all of Hollywood is openly smitten by someone?
Broken-record style, no.
Until the next Laker dynasty is formed, everyone who coaches them will live in Jackson’s shadow. D’Antoni doesn’t just understand that, he’s taken it in stride. He’s embraced it. He’s encouraged it.
Perhaps he was the right man for the job after all.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
