West Virginia Native Mike D’Antoni to Be Enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame

MULLENS, W.Va. (WVVA) - Mike D’Antoni, a West Virginia native who played high school basketball at Mullens High School and college basketball at Marshall University, will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the Class of 2026.

D’Antoni’s fast-paced, offense-oriented “space-and-pace” style of play helped redefine offensive strategy in the NBA, emphasizing ball movement, shooting and efficiency. He spent 16 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, accumulating nearly 1,200 career wins.

D’Antoni earned two NBA Coach of the Year awards during his tenure. He received his first in 2004-05 with the Phoenix Suns, where he led the team to four consecutive 50-plus-win seasons and became known for the “Seven Seconds or Less” era of Suns basketball.

He received his second Coach of the Year award in 2017 with the Houston Rockets, after leading the team to a 55-27 record in his first season. The Rockets went 65-17 during the 2017-18 regular season, the best regular-season record in the NBA that year. D’Antoni coached Houston from 2016 to 2020.

Before his NBA head coaching career, D’Antoni coached professionally in Italy for eight seasons. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Contributors in EuroLeague history.

D’Antoni also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball, helping the U.S. win Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.

The enshrinement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass. The event will be available to watch on NBA.com and NBA TV.

D’Antoni joins the Class of 2026 alongside other inductees recognized for their lasting impact on the game of basketball.

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