Former Lakers Star Reveals What Went Wrong in Disastrous 2012-13 Season

Ricardo Sandoval | Nov 12, 2024

Apr 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni (center) talks with center Dwight Howard (12) and forward Pau Gasol (16) during the game against the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Rockets 99-95 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are known for acquiring and trading for big stars. 

Los Angeles is a town of stars. Whenever the Lakers have a chance to trade or sign one via free agency, they jump at that opportunity. The opportunity came knocking, and L.A. crashed it open in the 2012 offseason when the Lakers traded for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard.

Howard came to Los Angeles in hopes of winning a championship, and while he eventually did, it wasn't during the 2012-13 campaign. 

There were high hopes for that Lakers squad that featured Howard, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash, to name a few. The Lakers team was loaded on paper, but it never materialized on the court. 

A lot went wrong for L.A. that season, and their decision to go with one coach over another was their downfall, at least according to Howard. 

Howard told Jeanie Buss on his podcast "Above The Rim with DH 12," that he knew his Lakers stint wouldn't go well when the front office chose Mike D'Antoni as their head coach over Phil Jackson. 

"A couple of days before I had talked to Phil on the phone. He was like he wanted to coach me. For me, when I heard that, even now, I'm getting chills in my body. In high school, my coach ran the triangle offense... because he wanted to me aggravated into that system. So, I'm talkin' to Phil, 'Man, I've been wanting this my whole life,'" said Howard . "And then, two days later, they signed Mike, and I was like, 'I don't know if this is going to go well for me.'"

D'Antoni was known to run his offense around guards and spacing big men, of which Howard was none. 

Howard also noted that this decision left him feeling marginalized in the team's strategy. In his conversation with Buss, she noted that they wanted to rekindle what Nahs and D'Antoni had in Phoenix in L.A., but as we know now, that didn't work. 

"We had Steve Nash on the team. So they reunited what they had done in Phoenix," Buss said. "Cleary the, the choice was to go all-in on Steve instead of what would work best for you."

The fit was never a great one for obvious reasons, and D'Antoni only lasted two seasons, while Howard left after the 2012-13 season. 

A lot went wrong that season and the decision to go with D'Antoni over Jackson was one of them. 

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