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Mike D'Antoni

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Mike D'Antoni
File:Mike D'Antoni 2019.jpg
D'Antoni in 2019
Born (1951-05-08) May 8, 1951 (age 75)
Mullens, West Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Professional basketball coach, former player
Years active1973–present
Known forNBA head coach; rapid offense style; NBA Coach of the Year (2004–05, 2016–17)

Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player, most recently serving as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

During his tenure as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, D'Antoni earned the NBA Coach of the Year honor for the 2004–05 NBA season by improving the team's win total by 33 compared to the prior season. He led the New York Knicks from 2008 until his departure in 2012, subsequently taking over the Los Angeles Lakers seven games into the 2012–13 campaign. On June 1, 2016, he was appointed as head coach of the Houston Rockets, where he won his second NBA Coach of the Year accolade during the 2016–17 season. D'Antoni is widely known for implementing a rapid, offense-focused style of play that helped guards Steve Nash and James Harden secure the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

High school and college

D'Antoni played high school basketball at Mullens High School in Mullens, West Virginia, before competing at the collegiate level with the Thundering Herd representing Marshall University from 1970 through 1973.

Professional career

After completing college, D'Antoni was selected in the second round of the 1973 NBA draft by the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. He spent three seasons with the Kings (1973–1975), then joined the Spirits of St. Louis in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the 1975–76 season. He briefly appeared in two games for the San Antonio Spurs during 1976–77 before continuing his career overseas.

Signing with Italian club Olimpia Milano, D'Antoni became their all-time leading scorer. In 1990, he was honored as the greatest point guard in Italian LBA league history. Throughout his time there, he helped Milano secure five Italian League championships, two FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) titles, two Italian Cups, one FIBA Korać Cup, and one FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

While playing in Italy, he earned the nickname "Il Baffo" ("The Mustache") due to his distinctive facial hair and was also dubbed "Arsène Lupin" because of his adept ball-stealing abilities. In recognition of his impact, Olimpia Milano retired his No. 8 jersey in 2015.

National team career

Holding dual citizenship with the United States and Italy, D'Antoni represented Italy's senior national basketball team at the 1989 EuroBasket tournament.

Olimpia Milano (1990–1994)

D'Antoni launched his coaching career at Olimpia Milano, where he served as head coach for four seasons. Under his leadership, the team reached the Final Four of the 1992 FIBA EuroLeague and captured the FIBA Korać Cup championship in 1992–93.

Benetton Treviso (1994–1997)

He then took charge of Benetton Treviso, guiding them to victory in the 1995 FIBA European Cup (Saporta Cup), winning the Italian Cup, and securing the Italian national league title in 1996–97. Throughout his stint, his squads consistently qualified for the Italian League playoffs.

Denver Nuggets (1997–1999)

D'Antoni entered the NBA in 1997–98 as the Denver Nuggets' director of player personnel while simultaneously working as a broadcaster for TNT. He was promoted to head coach during the 1998–99 season but was relieved of his duties following an underwhelming performance in the lockout-shortened campaign.

Portland Trail Blazers (2000–2001)

Following a scouting role with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999–2000, D'Antoni joined the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant coach for the 2000–01 season.

Return to Benetton (2001–2002)

D'Antoni returned to Benetton Treviso for a single season, guiding the team to a 28–8 record in the regular season, securing the Italian League title, and advancing to the 2002 Euroleague Final Four. His squad featured several former NBA players.

Phoenix Suns (2002–2008)

Rejoining the NBA in 2002, D'Antoni took an assistant coaching position with the Phoenix Suns before being elevated to head coach in 2003. The signing of free agent Steve Nash prior to the 2004–05 season catalyzed a dramatic transformation. Nash excelled orchestrating D'Antoni's rapid pick-and-roll offense, famously known as "Seven Seconds or Less." That year, the Suns achieved a 62–20 record, earning D'Antoni the NBA Coach of the Year award. Over four straight seasons, Phoenix won at least 50 games annually, with Nash capturing consecutive MVP honors in 2005 and 2006. The roster also featured All-Stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion. The Suns advanced to back-to-back Western Conference finals in 2005 and 2006 but were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks respectively. D'Antoni briefly assumed general manager responsibilities following Bryan Colangelo’s departure until Steve Kerr succeeded him in 2007. After playoff eliminations in both 2007 and 2008, D'Antoni departed Phoenix to take over as head coach of the New York Knicks.

New York Knicks (2008–2012)

Despite Steve Kerr’s preference for D’Antoni to remain with Phoenix, he was free to pursue other coaching positions. On May 9, 2008, the New York Knicks extended an offer that D’Antoni accepted the following day, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $24 million.

After two seasons with losing records, he guided the Knicks to a playoff berth in the 2010–11 season, finishing with a 42–40 mark fueled by emerging stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. However, they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the opening round.

D’Antoni stepped down on March 14, 2012 amid an 18–24 start and reported tensions with Anthony; assistant coach Mike Woodson was promoted as his replacement.

Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2014)

On November 12, 2012, D’Antoni signed a three-year contract worth $12 million with the Los Angeles Lakers, succeeding Mike Brown who was dismissed after a poor 1–4 start. Although initially pursuing Phil Jackson’s return, management unanimously selected D’Antoni for his up-tempo style better suited than Jackson’s triangle offense. Owner Jerry Buss favored an open offensive approach. This hiring reunited D’Antoni with Steve Nash, who had been traded to Los Angeles before that season; star Kobe Bryant was also familiar with him from their time together on Team USA.

D’Antoni’s coaching debut was postponed due to knee replacement surgery performed weeks prior to his hiring. Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff managed a 4–1 record during his absence. Once back, D’Antoni brought on his brother Dan as an assistant and aimed to revive a "Showtime"-style offense. He forecasted increasing scoring from an average of 96.5 points per game up to between 110 and 115 points and aligned with GM Mitch Kupchak’s championship ambitions. His first game at the helm resulted in a 95–90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on November 20.

The Lakers struggled early under D’Antoni’s leadership, recording only a 4–9 start by December without Nash who was recovering from a broken leg. Following Nash’s return late that month, performance briefly improved but then deteriorated into a six-game losing streak. In January, D’Antoni permanently benched forward Pau Gasol in favor of smaller lineups emphasizing pace; while Los Angeles ranked second in pace of play, they held just a 12–19 record at midseason. The offense averaged 103.3 points per game but allowed nearly as many at 103.4 points defensively.

Center Dwight Howard had difficulty adapting to running pick-and-roll plays central to D’Antoni’s system; eventually, the coach abandoned structured offensive sets for simpler ball movement combined with defense-focused strategies. Nash shifted toward spot-up shooting roles while Bryant assumed primary playmaking duties; defensive performance showed signs of improvement.

D’Antoni earned Western Conference Coach of the Month honors after leading the Lakers to a strong April finish (7–1), culminating in a 45–37 overall record and securing the seventh seed in the playoffs despite earlier struggles. The anticipated starting lineup featuring Bryant, Nash, Howard, Gasol, and Metta World Peace started only seven games together without recording any wins. GM Kupchak acknowledged challenges posed by coaching transitions and roster composition issues. The Lakers were swept in their first-round playoff series by San Antonio—their first opening-round sweep since 1967.

During the full 2013–14 campaign, Los Angeles posted a franchise-low record of 27–55 (.329), marking their worst performance since relocating from Minnesota. Howard left via free agency for Houston seeking a role better suited to his skills despite lower pay. Bryant appeared in only six games due to injury; both he and Gasol criticized D’Antoni’s small-ball approach while Nash missed most of the season because of injuries.

On April 30, 2014, D’Antoni resigned after the Lakers declined his contract option for the following season; he received an undisclosed portion of his $4 million owed salary. GM Kupchak commended his efforts given difficult circumstances throughout his tenure.

Philadelphia 76ers (2015–2016)

On December 18, 2015, D'Antoni accepted the role of associate head coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, working alongside head coach Brett Brown.

Houston Rockets (2016–2020)

D'Antoni was appointed as the head coach of the Houston Rockets on June 1, 2016. In his debut season, he steered the team to a 55–27 record and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. On May 7, 2017, he shared the inaugural NBCA Coach of the Year Award with Erik Spoelstra, followed by winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award on June 26.

During the 2017–18 campaign, D'Antoni led Houston to a league-leading 65–17 record. The Rockets' postseason concluded in a seven-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.

By the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, Houston enjoyed its most successful three-year period in franchise history under D'Antoni, posting a combined 173–73 regular-season record and a 23–16 mark in the playoffs. His winning percentage remains the highest among all Rockets coaches.

After substantial changes to his coaching staff in May 2019, D'Antoni declared he would not extend his contract set to expire following the 2019–20 season. Although initially open to continuing, negotiations faltered over buyout provisions but later approached an agreement. Nevertheless, he began the 2019–20 season without a contract extension in place.

On September 13, 2020, one day after Houston's defeat to the Lakers in the conference semifinals, D'Antoni confirmed he would step down as head coach.

Brooklyn Nets (2020–2021)

The Brooklyn Nets brought D'Antoni on board as an assistant coach under former Phoenix Suns player Steve Nash on October 30, 2020. He resigned from this position after one season on July 28, 2021.

New Orleans Pelicans (2021–2025)

D'Antoni joined the New Orleans Pelicans as a coaching advisor on August 4, 2021. On April 29, 2025, it was announced that he would not continue with the organization.

National team career

D'Antoni contributed to the coaching staff of Team USA Olympic Basketball under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, participating in the 2006 FIBA World Championship where the team secured a bronze medal. His knowledge of three-point shooting and zone defense was regarded as an asset in international play.

He returned as an assistant coach for Team USA during the 2012 London Summer Olympics, reuniting with Knicks teammates Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.

NBA/ABA career statistics

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Kansas City–Omaha (NBA) 52 19.0 .402 .702 1.8 2.4 1.4 .3 4.8
Kansas City–Omaha (NBA) 67 11.3 .399 .778 1.1 1.6 1.0 .2 2.5
Kansas City (NBA) 9 11.2 .259 1.000 1.6 1.8 1.1 .0 1.8
St. Louis (ABA) 50 16.0 .475 .000 .731 1.5 2.3 1.3 .3 3.5
San Antonio (NBA) 2 4.5 .333 .500 1.0 1.0 .0 .0 1.5
Career (NBA) 130 14.3 .392 .736 1.4 1.9 1.2 .2 3.3
Career (overall) 180 14.8 .414 .000 .735 1.5 2.0 1.2 .2 3.4

Playoff Performance

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975 Kansas City–Omaha (NBA) 4 10.5 .500 1.000 1.8 .3 1.0 .3 4.5

Head Coaching Record

Template:NBA coach statistics legend Template:NBA coach statistics start

Denver Template:Nbay 50 14 36 .280 6th in Midwest Division — — — — Did not qualify for playoffs
Phoenix Template:Nbay 61 21 40 .344 6th in Pacific Division — — — — Did not qualify for playoffs
Phoenix Template:Nbay 82 62 20 .756 1st in Pacific Division 15 9 6 Template:Winning percentage Eliminated in Conference Finals

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Personal Background

D'Antoni's father was a high school basketball coach in both West Virginia and Ohio, earning induction into West Virginia's Sports Hall of Fame. His elder brother, Dan, worked alongside him as an assistant coach during their tenures in Phoenix, New York, and Los Angeles. Both Mike (inducted in 1997) and Dan (inducted in 1990) have been honored by the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Holding citizenship in both the United States and Italy, D'Antoni became the first Italian-born individual to serve as head coach of an NBA team. His heritage traces back to an Italian grandfather who immigrated from Umbria, Italy, during the early 1900s. He is proficient in both English and Italian.

As of June 2021, he lives with his wife Laurel and their son Mike in Houston’s Memorial neighborhood.

External links

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