The words sounded soothing as Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter spoke.
“The Philadelphia 76ers associate head coach is Mike D’Antoni,” Tanter said.
The sell-out crowd at Staples Center then offered absolutely no reaction before the Lakers played the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. No cheers. No boos. Nothing.
The noise at Staples Center sounded different when D’Antoni coached the Lakers from the 2012-14. Then, he heard constant boos and pleas from Lakers fans wishing for Phil Jackson to patrol the sidelines instead.
Perhaps that explains why D’Antoni politely declined to talk about his tenure with the Lakers, which included a 67-87 record, countless injuries, mixed support for his fast-paced system and subpar defensive performances.