Phil Handy doesn’t hold any grudges. The Los Angeles Lakers‘ longtime assistant coach was let go when the organization fired Darvin Ham. Having arrived for his second stint with the Purple & Gold in 2019, Handy was instrumental in leading the franchise to the 2020 title. Needless to say, during the 53-year-old’s five years in Los Angeles, he became a beloved figure among players and fans alike. But even Handy couldn’t stop himself when it came to Rob Pelinka.

More on that in a moment, I promise. But coming back to the man of the hour, Phil Handy’s heartfelt farewell message on Instagram certainly evoked strong emotions in fans, players, media personalities, and anyone who knew Handy. With three championships under him and extensive experience as well as a reputation for being one of the best player development coaches, the former guard was blessed with the ability to connect with athletes on a personal level.

And the solid relationship and connection he had with the Lakers was clear in his goodbyes. “#lakernation long overdue… 5 years in the books and yall held me down from start to finish,” he began. “The amount of love #lakeshow fans showed me over the years has been unreal! I will be forever grateful for the out pouring (sic) support yall showed the OG.”

“We did the thing in 2020 and tried every year to compete for more. The business of basketball is not always easy or fair but you all know what I’m about with this game and any player I have I’ve ever worked with @beyourowngoat…Yall know what it is [insert heart, folded hands, hope sign emojis]. The next move tho [insert eyes, exploding head emojis],” Handy finished, leaving it very much open to interpretation.

A truly passionate leave-taking indeed! But what was that sneaky attempt at Pelinka?

Phil Handy finds ex-Lakers champion’s comments quite handy in directing a dig at Rob Pelinka

Dwight Howard didn’t hold back at all as he laid all the blame squarely on Pelinka’s shoulders. Then again, the Lakers’ GM is no stranger to these kinds of attacks. Since winning the NBA title in 2020, Los Angeles has seen nothing but underwhelming results. And much of it was due to the questionable choices and decisions by the former sports agent.

“Rob Pelinka kinda messed up the dynasty we were starting. We would’ve had at least two championships and an opportunity to fight for a third one,” Howard stated recently. And hilariously enough, Phil Handy commented, “Facts!” below. Not surprisingly, more than the 8x All-Star’s comment, it was Handy’s one-worded response that went viral.

Clearly, the veteran coach too believed, to an extent, that Pelinka’s decisions were responsible for the lack of success following the championship year. That said, Phil’s love for the organization and the relationships he cultivated were still strong. In late June, the ex-Lakers coach shared a series of photos of his training sessions with Rui Hachimura.

And his IG caption showcased the importance he attributed to relationships. “Keep the main thing the main thing! Never switch up on your relationships.” 

Handy might have left the Lakers, but there’s no doubt that he will always remain a Laker at heart. #Lakerforlife – apt, wouldn’t you say?