Kerr-D’Antoni friendship still strong today
HOUSTON >> Over nine years have passed since they last worked together. Since then, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni raved endlessly about each other’s character, their coaching, how they empower players and how they have overseen high-powered offenses that very few teams can stop.
Said Kerr: “Mike is the guy who revolutionized the game.”
Said D’Antoni: “Steve is one of the best coaches ever.”
The Warriors (37-9) will face the Houston Rockets (3112) on Saturday, a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference that could extend the Warriors’ 14-game road winning streak, secure home-court advantage in a possible postseason meeting and spark Kerr and D’Antoni to offer more compliments about one another.
After all, Kerr said he
watches the Rockets every time they are on television after they acquired All-Star point guard Chris Paul, defensive specialists Luc Mbah a Moute and PJ Tucker last summer to complement All-Star guard James Harden. D’Antoni lauded Kerr for his “terrific, terrific job” overseeing a star-laden roster and winning two NBA titles in the past three years.
If only those warm feelings could have produced something long lasting in Phoenix almost a decade ago with Kerr as the general manager and D’Antoni as the coach. Nearly a year after Kerr became the Suns general manager in the 2007 offseason, D’Antoni left to take the New York Knicks’ head-coaching job after the 2007-08 campaign.
“I have some regrets,” Kerr said. “I think we had a few differences that I probably didn’t handle very well as a GM that I could’ve probably handled better, especially given that we really like each other and have a lot of similar viewpoints on the game.”
D’Antoni dramatically changed the NBA, adopting a famously dubbed “Seven Seconds or Less” offense that devastated most defenses with a higher premium on 3-point shooting, quick passes and fast breaks. But D’Antoni faced persistent criticism regarding his commitment to defense and the Suns’ inability to beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA playoffs in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
“I had some ideas on how we could get over the hump. Mike had some ideas,” Kerr said. “We were both frustrated we couldn’t beat the Spurs. I just think if I had more experience as a GM, I would’ve navigated that whole thing a little bit better.”
Kerr spoke thoughtfully and in depth about those regrets because of his reverence for D’Antoni. D’Antoni spoke briefly and politely declined to reflect in detail because he harbors the same feelings about Kerr.
“We’re good,” D’Antoni said about Kerr. “He’s a great person, a great coach. I have nothing but respect for him.”
Warriors president Rick Welts and New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry also have nothing but respect for Kerr and D’Antoni.
When he served as the Suns’ president and chief executive, Welts viewed Kerr and D’Antoni as “both genuinely wonderful human beings” and “two of the most personally engaging human beings on the face of the Earth.”
After working as D’Antoni’s assistant for four seasons in Phoenix and Kerr’s assistant for one season in Golden State, Gentry viewed Kerr and D’Antoni as having a “great working relationship.”
“Steve’s an easy guy to work for,” Gentry said. “And Mike is an easy guy to work for.”
The partnership seemed perfect. Both are devoted to their families. Both have self-deprecating humor, while playfully poking fun at others. Both believe in collaboration. It sounded like all anyone would want in a boss or colleague.
Those ingredients mixed well with some other tasty spices. Suns point guard and future Hall of Famer Steve Nash dazzled with his sharp playmaking, stunning shooting accuracy and selfless play. By averaging 110 to 112 possessions per game from the 200308 seasons, D’Antoni’s offense shattered records for points, pace and 3-point attempts. D’Antoni’s system created “positionless” players that enabled the Suns to play smaller lineups, create more floor spacing and produce more open shots.
“It was ‘Camelot;’ it cannot get any better.” Welts said. “Steve and Mike had an amazing successful time together. It was ‘Camelot.’ But then it wasn’t.”
Kerr viewed the Suns “at a little bit of a crossroads” because of their inability to advance to the NBA Finals. So with the Suns losing twice in the Western Conference finals (to San Antonio in 2005 and Dallas in 2006) and in the Western Conference semifinals (to San Antonio in 2007), Kerr made a significant change.
“Mike and I both agreed at that time we weren’t going to win the whole thing with the team we had at the time,” Kerr said. “We had our chances, but we just weren’t going to get over the hump with that group.”
So, Kerr traded four-time All-Star forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to Miami for Shaquille O’Neal before the trade deadline in the 200708 season. The Suns still lost to the Spurs, this time in the first round. And the Suns were left with an aging and plodding O’Neal instead of the versatile Marion.
“I should have let Mike know, ‘It’s OK, keep kicking (butt) and keep going, and we’ll make some moves that aren’t so radical that fit more with who we are as an organization,” Kerr said. “We swung for the fences, and it was not the right move to make as an organization. I didn’t envision that as GM. I didn’t have the macro view of what we needed to do.”
Numerous reports over the years also indicate that Kerr believed D’Antoni needed to hire a defensiveoriented assistant coach. Kerr declined to address that topic. But Kerr argued, “as GM, I needed to lighten the load on Mike.”
“I needed to tell Mike, ‘It’s OK if we don’t win the championship,’” Kerr said. “We were so desperate to win. But not everybody can win. But what you can do is keep putting yourself in a position to get there. Then maybe the breaks fall your way.”
D’Antoni simply chalked up the dynamic this way: “There’s always challenges. It’s the NBA. We’re good.” But Kerr continued to offer self-criticism.
“He’s laid back and funny. He’s a great guy. But he is competitive as all hell. Rather than trying to relieve some of that pressure on him, I was just as competitive,” Kerr said. “We wanted to win so badly that it led to some mistakes on my part in terms of how I handled the relationship with him and how I neglected to help him where I could’ve helped him.”
Welts saw that dynamic play out from afar and up close.
“For Steve Kerr, it was a lesson in how important that relationship is between the head coach and general manager. Success does not automatically make it perfect,” Welts said. “For Mike D’Antoni, I’ve heard him more than once say he has some regrets about how his time in Phoenix probably ended too prematurely and it was his choice at the time to move on.”
Before that happened, Kerr publicly released a statement that expressed his hopes for the Suns to retain D’Antoni. Yet, the Suns allowed D’Antoni to speak with the Knicks after he asked for permission.
“They double your salary, and it’s already good. Wouldn’t you do that?” Gentry said. “I don’t think there is anything. There were disagreements like there would be in any situation. But I didn’t see it as being anything that is toxic.”
After all, Kerr said he and D’Antoni “connected several times” after he took the Knicks job. Kerr sensed, “I think we both felt genuine remorse.”
Welts and Kerr cannot help but wonder what would have happened if the breakup had not happened. Nearly two years later, Kerr resigned despite the Suns advancing to the 2010 Western Conference finals.
“In a different setting, it could’ve been a really good long-term partnership,” Kerr said. “He’s a wonderful guy. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t have worked out better other than circumstances and my own inexperience. We have tremendous respect for each other. I wish him nothing but success. I’m happy that he’s having all of this success.”