Mike D’Antoni’s four-year tenure in New York nearly ruined his career. With him as head coach, the Knicks won more than 32 just once, and that was when they got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Celtics in 2011. After another failed stint with the Lakers, D’Antoni resurrected his career with the Rockets this season, posting a 55-27 record, turning James Harden into an MVP candidate, and coming within two wins of a Western Conference Finals appearance.
That resurrection culminated Monday when D’Antoni was voted 2016-17 Coach of the Year, and he began his acceptance speech at the awards show in New York by cracking a joke about his time with the Knicks:
“I never thought I would be in New York and have to thank the sportswriters for Coach of the Year, but so be it.”
Meanwhile, the Knicks have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, have had four different head coaches in the five-plus seasons since D’Antoni left, and are currently trying to trade Kristaps Porzingis, one of the top young stars in the NBA.
So D’Antoni has every right to be cracking jokes.
[Clippit]
