Mike D’Antoni, offensive orchestrator, three-point proselytizer, pace-and-space pioneer, arrived in Milan in the summer of 1977 as a defensive specialist who could not score. He’d been a productive point guard in his first two seasons at Marshall, averaging more than 15 points on better than 45% shooting. Head coach Carl Tacy trusted D’Antoni, and in turn, D’Antoni trusted himself. But Tacy bailed for Wake Forest before D’Antoni’s senior year and uncertainty bred anxiety. “The old guy knew me,” D’Antoni says. “The new guy didn’t.” His shot faltered and his numbers dipped, but the Kansas City–Omaha Kings still picked him in the second round of the ’73 NBA draft, pegging him as a backup to Tiny Archibald.
Space City: How Faith Fuels the Rockets' Explosive Offense
