Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy was on a mission before the novel coronavirus halted the 2019-20 regular season.
The prominent assistant coach shared that he was upset because he was eager to keep up his streak of going to the NBA Finals.
"For selfish reasons, I was pissed…I wanted to make it six straight times to the Finals." 😂 #Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy talks with @RealAClifton about an impressive season coming to a screeching halt due to COVID-19.
Full Interview: https://t.co/ZkXkLhxze4 pic.twitter.com/itRXTjQ2pX
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 23, 2020
Handy, 48, is one of the most successful behind-the-scenes stalwarts in the NBA.
While he’s not popular on television or widely covered in the news, Handy has contributed to teams’ championships and players’ individual successes in a myriad of ways.
The respected skills trainer served as an NBA assistant coach on the Cleveland Cavaliers for four seasons, including the team’s improbable 2016 championship run.
After leaving the Cavs in 2018, Handy joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2018-19 season. The Raptors ended up going to the NBA Finals and won the 2019 championship.
Over the course of his career on the bench, the two-time champion has guided stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love.
Now, with the Lakers, the superb assistant coach is looking to extend his prolific streak to six straight NBA Finals. However, the NBA season must resume first.
In fact, it appears the return announcement for the 2019-20 campaign will be the only way to allay Handy’s hilarious anger.
