Mike D’Antoni gives some instruction in the final seconds to Chris Duhon and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 95-90 in a game played at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The game was new coach Mike D’Antoni’s first victory as a Laker. 11/20/12 (photos by John McCoy/Staff Photographer)

After overseeing the Lakers finish with their worst record in L.A. franchise history and lacking support from Kobe Bryant, Mike D’Antoni resigned as the Lakers coach on Thursday, according to his agent, Warren Legarie.

Legarie said D’Antoni reached an “insurmountable impasse” after the Lakers failed to provide assurances that they would exercise his team option that would ensure he would finish out the two years on his contract. He was owed a guaranteed $4 million for the 2014-15 season, while the Lakers held a team option for the 2015-16 campaign.

“Given the circumstances, I don’t know that anybody could have done a better job than Mike did the past two seasons,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “On behalf of the Lakers, we thank Mike for the work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude that he brought to the team every day. We wish him the best of luck.”
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni during a press conference held at the Toyota Sports Center, El Segundo Calif., Friday, April 18, 2014.
(Photo by Stephen Carr / Daily Breeze)

Mike D’Antoni plans to continue having discussions with the Lakers on Thursday, including whether he will coach for the 2014-15 season, according to a league source familiar with the situation.

D’Antoni currently plans to speak with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak on Thursday over the phone, as opposed to in person. This newspaper also learned that D’Antoni also had preliminary talk with Kupchak late Wednesday afternoon.
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The common thread that tie Bill Bertka, Don Ford, Brian Shaw and Jamaal Wilkes involve two things.

All have served in various capacities with the Lakers. All will be among the 21 inductees into the Santa Barbara Basketball Court of Champions on June 1, an inaugural event aimed to honor individuals from the Santa Barbara community that made significant contributions to basketball.

All four candidates provided that job description in various ways.

Bertka, the team’s current special assistant to the general manager for the past 11 years, has worked 33 seasons with the Lakers with various roles as a scout, director of player personnel and an assistant coach on the staffs ranging from Pat Riley, Mike Dunleavy, Randy Pfund, Magic Johnson, Del Harris, Kurt Rambis and Phil Jackson.

Wilkes played eight of his 12 NBA seasons with the Lakers, helping them to NBA titles in (1980, 1982, 1985). An unnamed UCLA engineering student first called him “Silk” during his sophomore season to describe his smooth style. The late Chick Hearn, the famed Lakers announcer, called Wilkes “the 20-foot layup” because of his consistent shot. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists while wearing the purple and gold despite nursing an unorthodox shooting stroke.

Shaw won three NBA championships both as a key reserve (1999-2003) and as an assistant under both Frank Hamblen Jackson (2004-2011). He also served one year as a scout.

Ford played for 4 1/2 seasons with the Lakers after being selected in the sixth round of the 1975 NBA Draft. Before he was traded to Cleveland, Ford averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds through 368 games with the Lakers.

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Faecbook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant looks on from the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, in New York. The Knicks defeated the Lakers 110-103. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The persistent losing frustrated Kobe Bryant enough to put public pressure on the Lakers’ front office to rebuild quickly. The occasionally clash between Jim and Jeanie Buss prompted Bryant to call for them to improve their relationship. Philosophical differences with Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced system and his struggles handling an injury-depleted roster soured Bryant’s outlook on them.

But those issues hardly compare to what the Clippers are currently experiencing. Yes, they are the best team in Los Angeles and are currently in the playoffs. But with Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racially disparaging remarks according to an audio recording obtained by TMZ, Bryant became among one of the many NBA stars speaking out against his words. For Bryant, the incident also provided a bigger reminder that he appreciates what he currently has.

In times like this is where we need to appreciate the Buss family!! #DrB #Jeanie #Jimmy #thankyou #LakerNation

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 28, 2014

 
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