Lakers Rumors & News Recap: D’Antoni Not on the Court Yet

Arielle Moyal

12 years ago

Tonight is a big night in Laker land as the Lakers play the Spurs after a whirlwind of crazy the past few days. The Lakers continue their six-game home stand as they face the 6-1 San Antonio tonight at the Staples Center. They have won two consecutive games under interim coach, Bernie Bickerstaff, but will be presented with their toughest challenge so far tonight. For today’s game, D’Antoni will just be watching, as Bickerstaff will remain as interim Head Coach. D’Antoni will coach his first game for the Lakers on Friday.

Following the game, however, Time Warner Cable SportNet will have an exclusive Lakers discussion and is preparing to speak to the new head coach of the Lakers, D’Antoni. This will be the first television interview of the new Lakers coach. For fans with Time Warner Cable SportsNet, this will be a must-see television special. It will air tonight at 6:30 p.m.

A key to a successful season for Mike will be having Kobe on your side. So far, things seem to be going smoothly, especially after calling Kobe the “greatest talent we have in the game.” This morning, Mike spoke to Ryan Seacrest on 102.7 KIIS-FM and discussed his future with the Los Angeles Lakers. His goal is to win a championship, but he was also excited about the opportunity to coach Kobe Bryant.

To add to the Lakers news this week, trade rumors are bubbling! Allegedly, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to trade point guards Steve Blake and Chris Duhon, but at this time no one is interested in executing a deal. With Mike D’Antoni now the head coach, there is really no need for all these point guards; the Lakers need three point shooters. Blake recently suffered a setback and it may take some time until he gets back on the court, making him even more useless. As for Chris Duhon, he has not seen a lot of playing time with the Lakers.

Happy Birthday Metta! The Lakers star turns 33 today, and hopefully this extra birthday juice propels him tonight against the Spurs. If you are a Metta fan, celebrate with LN by updating your desktop/ iPad background/ smart phone background with our newest piece of art featuring World Peace.

For more on the pregrame report, click here.

San Antonio Spurs (6-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (3-4)
7:30 PM PST, November 13, 2012
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: TWC Sports Network, NBATV
Radio: 710 ESPN (English) 1330 KWKW (Spanish)

Spurs Projected Starting Line-up

PG: Tony Parker
SG: Danny Green
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Boris Diaw

Key Reserves: G Manu Ginobili, G Gary Neal, F Stephen Jackson F Tiago Splitter

Lakers Nation News

Mike D’Antoni Is As Much About The Future As He Is About The Present

Lakers Rumors: Team Shopping Steve Blake and Chris Duhon

Kobe Bryant Releases Videos Of Visit To Skid Row

Kobe Bryant Talks About D’Antoni Hiring on Facebook

Lakers vs. Spurs Pre-Game Report: Lakers Go for Third Straight Win

Mike D’Antoni Calls Kobe “Greatest Talent We Have in the Game”

Mike D’Antoni Will Have First Television Interview as Lakers Coach Tonight

Shootaround Report: Kobe Bryant Says Mike D’Antoni His First Choice