The Arizona Republic spoke this week with former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni 1-on-1 prior to his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on Aug. 15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
In Part 2, D’Antoni talked about falling short of winning an NBA championship in Phoenix, his impact on today’s game, the current Suns team, not being in the franchise’s ‘Ring of Honor,’ and more.
A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, D’Antoni, 75, posted a 672-527 record in 16 seasons with five different teams in the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Suns. He went 253-136 in five seasons as head coach in Phoenix.
Here is the second of our two-part series on D'Antoni.
The Class of 2026 is ready to enter
the @Hoophall! 👏 Watch the Enshrinement Ceremony Saturday, 8/15 at 7:00pm/et on NBA TV. pic.twitter.com/BjxmUB25i2
— NBA (@NBA) August 10, 2026
On falling short of NBA title in Phoenix with ‘Seven Seconds or Less’
“I just I think that we could have easily, you know, my first year there as a head coach (in 2004-05) or the third year (2006-07), won a championship. We had a really good chance, even the second year (2005-06) without Amar’e (Stoudemire), to get into the finals. I don't know if we would’ve won or not.”
The Suns fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2005 Western Conference finals in five games and to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 conference finals in six games.
Stoudemire had microfracture surgery on his left knee before the 2005-06 season. He only played three games that season and missed the playoffs.
“And then Raja Bell got hurt (left calf in 2006 conference finals). What really ticks me off is that, and I don't know if we would’ve won or not, and I don’t know if we get to the finals or not, nobody knows, but the first year we tried, Joe Johnson breaks his orbital bone in his face (against the Mavs in the 2005 conference semifinals).
Johnson returned in the conference finals, but he wore a protective mask against the Spurs.
Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns used a mask to protect an orbital fracture over his left eye during the 2005 Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. pic.twitter.com/XTWkDsUcGE
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) February 28, 2020
And then the next year, Raja Bell gets hurt during the Dallas series. So, he's hobbled and hardly played or didn't play or wasn’t up to his usual self in the Western Conference Finals. And then the third year, we had the suspension.”
Phoenix lost to the Spurs in the 2007 conference semifinals as Boris Diaw and Stoudemire were issued a one-game suspension after leaving the bench in reaction to Robert Horry bumping Steve Nash out of bounds late in a Game 4 win.
The Spurs took the next two games to capture the series in six games. San Antonio won the NBA Finals in 2005 and 2007.
"It just seemed like, gosh, we can't get out of our own way. Things happening and it just wasn't in the cards. I think we could have even been more appreciated if we'd have been able to win a title. And San Antonio is great. I'm not taking anything from them. I would’ve liked to have met them full boat. Doesn’t mean we would’ve beaten them or not, but I’ve would’ve liked to have competed with them.”
‘Seven Seconds or Less’ impact on today’s game
“They play a lot like we played. It went from a grind, beat them up kind of style in the ‘90s to more of a wide open, offense, let it fly from 2000 to now. Those Suns, back then, statistically, we would be in the middle of the pack, if not the bottom half of taking 3s now. Playing fast."
The Suns led the NBA in points per game, 3s attempted, 3s made and 3-point percentage in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
- 2004-05 – 110.4 ppg., 24.7 3PTA, 9.7 3PTM, 39.3 3PT%.
- 2005-06 – 108.4 ppg., 25.6 3PTA, 10.2 3PTM, 39.9 3PT%.
The Suns finished second to the Golden State Warriors in 2006-07 in 3-point attempts, but they once again led the league in points per game, 3s made and 3-point percentage.
- 2006-07 – 110.2 ppg., 24.0 3PTA, 9.6 3PTM, 39.9 3PT%.
Transplant Phoenix’s best numbers in those three years into last season; only the Brooklyn Nets averaged fewer points per game at 105.9.
Every NBA team attempted and made more 3s per game last season than those Suns squads. The Sacramento Kings finished last in the NBA in attempted 3s at 30.2 and made 3s at 10.3.
As for 3-point percentage, the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Suns shot better from deep at 39.9% than every other team in the NBA last season. The Denver Nuggets led the league in 3-point percentage last season at 39.6%.
“Each year, they've kind of tacked on more speed, more analytically, but, when you’re the first to go through the door, when you're storming the place, you're the ones that are at risk (laughs). We took some bullets. What Golden State did with Steph Curry winning a title, put the cap on it that yeah, you can win this way and actually the way to go. So it’s very satisfying, very satisfying.”
The Warriors won four NBA titles (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022) with Curry leading the way.
On current Suns team
“Oh, they're good. You’ve got a great coach. (Jordan) Ott is really good. I was with him as an assistant coach at Brooklyn under Steve Nash (in 2020-21). I like him. I like what they got. I’ve always liked Devin Booker, man. He’s class, good guy. Jalen Green. You’re always going to need some luck. You need to stay healthy, but they should have a good year.”
Phoenix won 45 games and made the playoffs last season in Ott's first year as an NBA head coach.
On entering Marshall’s inaugural Ring of Honor class with his brother, Dan
“It’s cool. It's really, really good. Marshall was a big part of my life and my brother’s. He was the head coach there for 10 years.”
Dan D’Antoni was an assistant under Mike D’Antoni for nine NBA seasons, with three of those years in Phoenix (2005-08).
The older brother of the two, Dan D’Antoni, coached Marshall to a Conference USA title and first ever NCAA Tournament win in 2017-18.
Mike D’Antoni posted 1,227 career points and 659 career assists in his four years at Marshall as he led the Thundering Herd to their highest ranking ever at No. 8 in the Associated Press poll in 1971-72.
“Good times. That's one thing I hate for college kids a little bit. I think they miss out on how college is. Four years at same place and building something instead of jumping from team to team. I get it, but when you can have four years in the same place, a special place like Marshall and enjoy everything. On campus, off campus with all the students. It's the best. I hate now that it’s not quite like that, but hopefully, it'll turn back to sanity pretty soon.”
On not being in Suns Ring of Honor
“You know what, I'm good. It would be an extreme honor obviously. The people that are up there are the best and that would be something that would obviously be special, but, you know, it's all good, it's all good. I got great memories about Phoenix that’s for sure.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mike D'Antoni on not being in Suns' Ring of Honor | Exclusive
