NEW YORK (AP) - Mike D’Antoni and Amare Stoudemire are joining Steve Nash’s coaching staff, bringing a glimpse of the old Phoenix Suns to Brooklyn.
Nash hired his old coach and pick-and-roll partner as assistants Friday, filling out his staff for his rookie season as an NBA coach.
D’Antoni won the first of his two Coach of the Year awards in 2005 while leading the potent Suns to 62 victories behind the play of point guard Nash and power forward Stoudemire. They piled up points and 3-pointers with a small-ball style that was unusual then but the norm in the NBA now.
Ime Udoka was also hired as an assistant Friday following one season in Philadelphia and seven in San Antonio. The new assistants join holdovers Jacque Vaughn, who finished last season as the interim head coach, Adam Harrington, Jordan Ott, Tiago Splitter and Ryan Forehan-Kelly on Nash’s staff.
D’Antoni spent the last four seasons coaching Houston, leading the Rockets to the playoffs each season and winning his second Coach of the Year award in 2017. He and the team parted ways after the Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
He is 672-527 in 16 seasons as an NBA coach.
Stoudemire will be coaching for the first time after averaging 18.9 points in 14 seasons as an NBA player. The 2003 Rookie of the Year finished his playing career with stints in Israel and China.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.