EXCLUSIVE: Mike D’Antoni Talks Rockets 65-Win Year, Developing Harden Into MVP

Basketball Hall of Famer Mike D’Antoni was a central figure in shaping the Houston Rockets into title contenders during the late 2010s. He coached the Rockets to a franchise-best 65-17 record for the 2017-2018 regular season.

The two-time NBA Coach of the Year is also credited with unlocking James Harden’s potential as an MVP-caliber talent. Harden was named the league’s MVP in 2018, averaging 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.

In an exclusive interview with Houston Rockets On SI, D'Antoni discussed his four-year stint with the Rockets. Our conversation has been edited for length, clarity, and grammar.

Eric Jay Santos: Houston’s 65-win season nearly resulted in an NBA Finals appearance. Was there a specific motto, practice, or moment that defined the team culture from that run?

Mike D’Antoni: We always had a great culture. Chris Paul was really smart about how to unify everybody. The only motto we had all year was, ‘So what? What’s next?’. You make a mistake, so what? We’re moving on to the next game, the next play. And that worked out for us.

We also had the idea that we wanted every player, in their role, to have their career-best year in some categories, whether it’s shooting percentage, rebounding, or whatever. We had a lot of players that hit those goals.

Eric Jay Santos: You developed two MVP winners, James Harden and Steve Nash, during your NBA coaching career. Was that the goal or an effect of your blueprint?

Mike D’Antoni: My goal was to make them the best players they can be. Winning the MVP award is something you don’t expect them to do, but you hope they’re in the conversation. I knew they could be in the conversation if the team was functioning around them.

You can’t do that without winning, and they can’t do that if it doesn’t function as a group. So, as good as they are, it should be an award shared by the whole team that James and Steve became MVPs.

Eric Jay Santos: Are there any memorable moments that stand out from your time coaching the Rockets?

Mike D’Antoni: Every day was great. The time that Pat Beverley came over and bumped me on the sideline [after securing a crucial rebound in a close game]. Pat Beverley is one of those undervalued culture guys. He’s fired up all the time. Raja Bell was like that for the Suns, giving us that kind of grit.

Eric Jay Santos: Do you feel that there were any Rockets players that were underrepresented by the media?

Mike D’Antoni: Everybody has a role to play, and you gotta have players that are willing to be as good as they can be in that role. They can’t all have the ball. They all can't be set up in a pick and roll. We were fortunate, especially with Steve and James, to have players around them that were terrific. Raja Bell was a perfect complementary player for Steve because of his defensive ability and the toughness that he added to the team. I can go on and on. PJ Tucker did the same thing for the Rockets. Clint Capela was off the charts too. Everybody played a pivotal role.

One thing I hate about publicity, like with Sports Illustrated or ESPN, is they underline the things that get the most clicks. I get it, and it helps us get paid more money because it all explodes into a publicity thing. You do miss out on some of the other players that have skills that don't get as much credit as they should. Those players also help build up the guys that get all the credit. So, it all intertwines. When it does work, it's fun to coach. When it doesn't, it's a nightmare and the coach usually gets fired.

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