NBAWeird But True

Non-Player Mike D’Antoni’s Knee Injury Hurts His Candidacy For The Lakers’ Head Coaching Position

The internet exploded an hour ago when reports surfaced that Mike Brown had been canned. And so as Twitter does, names for Brown’s replacement – everything from the absurd (Phil Jackson) to the more absurd (Stan Van Gundy) – were floated with self-congratulating conviction. One of those names was former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, who hasn’t held a position in the NBA since his departure from New York midway through last season.

Though he did coach in the Olympics this summer with Team USA, D’Antoni hadn’t received too much buzz for potential NBA head coaching positions this past offseason. But it turns out that this new Lakers opening got Twitter’s juices flowing again for D’Antoni, as he’s widely considered a candidate for the now vacant Lakers’ head coaching position. And, according to the ever vigilant Adrian Wojnarowski, those same conversations have been had in the Lakers’ front office.

As Lakers ownership has been considering firing of Brown, Mike D’Antoni has been a prominent name discussed as replacement, sources tell Y!

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) November 9, 2012

In theory it does make sense, considering D’Antonio’s love affair with Steve Nash. But alas, this lovers reunion is not meant to be. D’Antoni, who doesn’t play basketball anymore, has an injury. And that injury will keep him out of the Lakers’ immediate future.

In the past two weeks, Mike D’Antoni had a knee replacement surgery and isn’t on his feet yet, sources tell Y!

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) November 9, 2012

Knee replacement surgery expected to keep Mike D’Antoni unable to coach until late December, league source tells Y! Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) November 9, 2012

Now this doesn’t mean that D’Antoni is completely out of the picture. He could still take over when healthy while Lakers assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff runs the show in the interim. Still, this is the first possible career-derailing coach injury we’ve ever heard of.

[@WojYahooNBA]

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