Mike D'Antoni hiring: Knicks react to move

Less than a year after Mike D'Antoni stepped down as head coach of the New York Knicks, his former players were glad -- or at least feigned graciousness -- to hear their former coach landed on his feet as the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Carmelo Anthony obviously faced questions about D'Antoni, after widespread speculation that a failed relationship between the two led to the coach's frustrated resignation in March. The pair showed no signs of strife when D'Antoni served as an assistant coach with Team USA at the London Olympics, while Anthony started for the gold-medal-winning team, and when asked Monday about the Lakers' hiring, he said he was "happy" for D'Antoni.

"Obviously it worked out this summer with him and Kobe (Bryant). Maybe they had something under the table, I don't know. But it'll be fun. I know Kobe's excited about that, so we'll see what happens."

Mike Woodson said he was "very excited" for the coach who brought him into New York as an assistant last year, while Steve Novak called his former coach an "offensive genius," offering a prediction for the rest of the Lakers' season.

"I expect the Lakers to win every game except for the ones that we play against them," he said.

D'Antoni coached three full seasons in New York and part of a fourth last year, making the playoffs once and going 121-167 while with the team.