FILE – Head coach Mike D’Antoni of the Los Angeles Lakers shouts to his team during their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on October 30, 2013 in Oakland, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
Mike D’Antoni, who has spent 12 seasons as an NBA head coach, was hired Friday by the league-doormat Philadelphia 76ers as an associate head coach.
The move came a week after the 76ers agreed to a two-year contract extension with coach Brett Brown and 12 days after Jerry Colangelo was named chairman of basketball operations.
At 1-26, the 76ers have lost eight games since collecting their lone win of the season at home on December 1 by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91. The Lakers have the NBA’s second-worst record at 4-22.
By losing the last 10 games of last season and their first 18 of the 2015-16 campaign, the 76ers have the most consecutive losses in NBA history.
They hope D’Antoni, with a quarter-century of NBA experience, might be able to help fix what ails them.
D’Antoni, 64, previously coached the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. He has been out of coaching since stepping down from the Lakers following the 2013-14 season, having compiled a 455-426 career record.
D’Antoni coached under Colangelo’s direction in Phoenix and has also served as a US Olympic assistant coach on the 2008 and 2012 gold medal squads run under Colangelo in his role as USA Basketball chairman.