Mike D’Antoni’s induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame also gave him the opportunity to look back on his time in Italy and, in particular, his connection with Olimpia Milano.
During his speech, the former Phoenix Suns head coach thanked the club and its fans: “To Olimpia Milano and the fans, thank you for your love and friendship.”
D’Antoni then explained how important his time in Milan was to his development as a coach and to the offensive concepts that would later make him famous in the NBA: “It was in Milan where I started experimenting with a smaller lineup and a faster style of play that could spread the defense and create more threes. Sasa Djordjevic and Antonio Davis were a big part of that evolution.”
Those ideas would later become one of the defining features of his tenure with the Phoenix Suns. His “Seven Seconds or Less” system, built around pace, spacing and a high volume of three-point attempts, helped profoundly influence the way basketball was played in the NBA.
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