Former Houston Coach Mike D’Antoni Inducted to the Hall of Fame

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, Mike D’Antoni was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Although D’Antoni has a long history in the NBA, his time in Houston will be one of his most impactful tenures.

D’Antoni was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2016 to 2020. The way he orchestrated and improved Houston’s offense will be one of his greatest achievements. During D’Antoni’s first year in the NBA, he moved James Harden from shooting guard to point guard. Although there were many skeptics and doubters, his new offensive philosophy proved effective.

In the 2016-2017 season, Harden averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. His 11.2 assists per game was the highest in the entire NBA, marking the first time that Harden was the league leader in assists. On top of this, Harden became the first player in the NBA to score 2,000 points and assist on 2,000 points in a single season.

With D’Antoni as head coach and Harden as the point guard, the Rockets went from a 41-win team in 2016 to a 55-27 powerhouse. D’Antoni’s contributions earned him the Coach of the Year Award.

The following year, the Rockets acquired Chris Paul. There was a lot of doubt and critique regarding this decision, as Harden was just moved to point guard and adding Chris Paul to the roster would add another primary ball handler. However, D’Antoni staggered their minutes rotations, which allowed for one of them to be on the court at all times. This meant that the Rockets had an elite ball handler and playmaker on the court at all times.

Although Harden’s assist number did go down with the addition of Chris Paul, Harden’s point average skyrocketed to 30.4 points per game, and he became the league’s leading scorer. Harden’s astonishing numbers were solidified when he recorded the NBA's first 60-point triple-double on January 30, 2018. He scored 60 points, dished out 11 assists, while accruing 10 rebounds.

The 2017-2018 season was not only Harden’s best season, but it was probably D’Antoni's best year as well. The 2017-18 season is considered the peak of the Mike D’Antoni era. The Rockets finished the season with a franchise record: 65-17. The Rockets finished with the #1 seed in the NBA. However, Paul suffered a severe hamstring injury, and the Rockets missed out on the NBA Finals.

This Rockets team is widely considered to be one of, if not the best, teams not to win an NBA Championship. Although D’Antoni did not win an NBA Championship ring, the impact he had on the NBA has earned him his place in the Hall of Fame.