There's a consistent theme in articles about NY Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni: Fun. It's a word you don't hear enough these days.
According to Raja Bell, who played for Coach D in PHX, his former coach's influence extends beyond the basketball floor:
"The work environment he creates has a real family-type feel. With him basketball is fun, and he really helps you believe in yourself."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who played for the Knicks from 1967-78, says he's hearing good things about what Coach D'Antoni is creating in NYC:
"The friends that I have that are still alive (in New York) that haven't passed away from old age are really saying, 'This is kinda fun to watch.' They play freely and they have a certain sense of teamwork. They are sharing the basketball. They like what they're seeing."
Says Knicks PG Chris Duhon: ''We play a fun system. It's very exciting basketball to watch and to play.''
As for Coach D'Antoni, he puts it in perspective.
"This is basketball. This is fun. It comes down to guys having chemistry and heart, and things will come together. I think that the best way to get things out of players is trusting them and their instincts. It doesn’t come down to X’s and O’s or something you can put down on paper. It comes down to heart and brains. To me it’s all focus. You can do it if you have the will to do it."
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