Mike D'Antoni

NBA Coach of the Year and pioneer of the fast-paced 'Seven Seconds or Less' offense.

Mike D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played professionally in the NBA and ABA, but is best known for his coaching career, including stints with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. He also served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Quick Facts

Tenure start: 2011

Lore & Background

D'Antoni played college basketball for Marshall University and was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the 1973 NBA draft. He also played in the ABA for the Spirits of St. Louis. As a coach, he revolutionized the NBA with his 'Seven Seconds or Less' offense in Phoenix, winning Coach of the Year in 2005. He later coached the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets, and served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reader's Guide

Fisher was selected 24th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He made his NBA debut in an early-season game against the Phoenix Suns, tallying 12 points and five assists. Over the course of his rookie season, Fisher appeared in 80 games, averaging 3.9 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 rebounds. He was selected to the Schick Rookie Game during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland and had 16 points and six assists.

In the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, Fisher played in all 50 games and started in 21. Phil Jackson became the Lakers' head coach prior to the 1999–2000 season. Fisher worked hard on his shooting during the offseason to increase his value to the new coach. He started in 22 of 78 games for the season, and the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games to win the 2000 NBA championship, Fisher's first.

Due to a stress fracture in his right foot, Fisher missed the first 62 games of the 2000–01 season. He returned on March 13, 2001, and started the final 20 games of the season, averaging 11.5 points per game. The Lakers swept through the Western Conference, and Fisher averaged 13.4 points per game and shot a team-best 51 percent from beyond the three-point line. This included a career-high 28 points on 6 for 7 three-point shooting in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

In the Finals, the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games, bolstered by Fisher's 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting from three-point range in game 5. At the time of his retirement, Fisher was first in career postseason games played with 259, a record later broken by LeBron James.

Did You Know?

He won two Olympic gold medals as an assistant coach for the USA men's basketball team (2008, 2012).
D'Antoni's brother, Dan D'Antoni, is the head coach at Marshall University.
He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading the Suns to a 62–20 record.
D'Antoni served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2020–21 season.