Mike D’Antoni says he got ‘a bunch of coal’ for Christmas

Mike D’Antoni is still reeling from his foot-in-the-mouth moment the other day.

After the Lakers’ 117-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday, D’Antoni made a comment that he immediately regretted.

“Find another team to root for,� he said of Lakers fans who are becoming discouraged with the team this season.

Oops.

He apologized Tuesday.

“I was an idiot last night,� he said. “I was out of my mind. I was ticked off. We didn’t play well and I said some stuff I shouldn’t have. It was stupid. That’s me, I just made a mistake.�

Then again Wednesday, before the Lakers played the Miami Heat, he again tried to yet again distance himself from that statement.

“I didn’t mean anything wrong. I said it wrong,� he said. “It was not a bright thing to say. That’s what happens when you are full of emotionally fueled meanness: You lash out.

“The right thing to convey is that I’m really proud of the guys we have, and I love these guys. And, you know, when somebody attacks your family, not attacks, but somebody asks you a question like, ‘Why you guys aren’t so good and we’re disappointed,’ well, I just lashed out. And it wasn’t the right thing to say. We’ve got great fans.�

No, no, the groveling didn’t stop there.

After Thursday’s practice, D’Antoni once more referred to his slip-up, this time completely unprompted.

When a reporter asked him what his favorite Christmas present was, D’Antoni recoiled.

“Nah, I didn’t get any yesterday,� he said. “For opening my mouth, I got a bunch of coal.�

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