Former Lakers, Knicks, Rockets, Suns head coach elected to Basketball Hall of Fame
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Former Lakers, Knicks, Rockets, Suns head coach elected to Basketball Hall of Fame originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A familiar face for many NBA franchises has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Mike D'Antoni has been officially elected to the Hall as a member of the class of 2026. He'll be inducted as a contributor.
Mike D'Antoni elected to Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor
D'Antoni began his NBA coaching career in the 1990s as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets before becoming the team's head coach. He would also go on to serve as a head coach for the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. He also served as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
He was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner and he's in the top 25 for most regular season and playoff wins as a coach in league history.
Here's the official release from the NBA:
An important figure in the evolution of modern basketball, D’Antoni influenced the game through innovation via his up-tempo, space-and-pace philosophy that helped redefine offensive strategy, emphasizing ball movement, shooting and efficiency, and shaping the analytics-driven era of the sport.
D’Antoni’s impact spans continents, having coached professionally in Italy for eight seasons before bringing his ideas to the NBA, where he amassed nearly 1,200 career wins. He was named NBA Coach of the Year twice (2005, ‘17), served as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, and was recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Contributors in EuroLeague history in 2008.
Other 2026 inductees include Joey Crawford (referee), Mark Few, Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker.
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