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MIKE D'antoni 1942 Through 1959

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MIKE D'antoni 1942 Through 1959 6o PROFILES IN PROMINENCE MIKE D'ANTONI 1942 through 1959. By the time Mike entered high school, his father had switched from coaching to administration at Mullens, where he THE ITALIAN HILLBILLY served as principal for 11 years. Though no longer coaching, Dad found by Shelby Angel ways to give Mike pointers during his playing days with the Rebels. During the games, Lewis would make notecards listing the ways in which Mike could improve his game. Apparently, Mike listened. His father's words of wisdom, combined with Mike's dedication and love for the game, transformed Mike into one of the best guards to ever don the Marshall University basketball uniform. Mike is proud of his ties with Marshall, as evidenced by the allowing Mike D' Antoni as he talks about life since his days as prominent Marshall University logo displayed in the center of a a Marshall University basketball star is like trying to keep track basketball court in the backyard of his large and beautiful home in of a human ping-pong ball as it bounces back and forth across F Scottsdale, where he is head coach of the NBA's Phoenix Suns. His the Atlantic Ocean. uncle, Andy, was a quarterback at Marshall years before Mike was Mike, a slender 6-foot-3 point guard on the mighty Thundering born, his sister later attended MU, and his older brother, Danny, played Herd teams of the early 1970's basketball for the Thundering Herd while Mike was still in high school. and one of the most popular Still, Marshall University and Mike D' Antoni almost never "I just hope that I'm a players to ever play for crossed paths. "West Virginia University had a nationally ranked team Marshall, has moved to Europe good person, a good and the basketball games were on TV," he recalls. Adding to Marshall's at least six times, played for family man, and that I'm disfavor was the fact that Mike's mother, Betty Jo, wanted Mike to be and coached numerous a doctor, but Marshall did not have a medical school at the time. able to leave a mark on basketball teams, and to this Those factors, along with Mike's yearning to pave his own path day, can't tell you where he'll somebody 's life." separate from Danny's, make how Mike ended up at Marshall truly, as be in a few years. But he can he puts it, one of those "things in life you just can't explain." Mike tell you that he welcomes each was being recruited heavily by several schools, many with more new adventure and that he established athletic programs than Marshall. But in the midst of the lives his life with no regrets. decision-making process, Danny was playing basketball for the D_' p,..ntoni was ?orn in Mullens, West Virginia, in 1951. A tiny Thundering Herd. coal-mmmg town w1th a population of about 3,000 people, Mullens Mike traveled to Huntington to visit his brother on the weekends, was a close-knit community that produced a number of talented and he began to meet people around town. "I got comfortable with ~thlete~; D' ~?toni underplays his success as a basketball player, saying Marshall," Mike remembers fondly. "I met some really great people. 1t was trad1t1on and normal to excel in a sport in Mullens." They take care of you there." Eventually, he narrowed his choices to In fact, Mullens has produced a multitude of college basketball four schools: Duke, West Virginia, Davidson and ... Marshall. He can't players, including two NBA players-D' Antoni and Jerome Anderson. say exactly what made him finally select Marshall, but he can say that Mike's father, Lewis, a member of the West Virginia Sports Hall of it was the first of many life-changing decisions that would shape his Fame, was the head basketball coach at Mullens High School from future. And what a wise decision it turned out to be. 62 PROFILES IN PROMINENCE PROFILES IN PROMINENCE An expressive smile appears on D' Antoni's face when he's asked think back, the tone of his voice changes and his warm, ever-present how he feels about someone breaking his all-time assist record at smile temporarily turns somber. Marshall. And it widens when he's asked how he feels about that On Nov. 14, 1970, Mike and his brother were watching television someone being fellow Mullens native Greg White. Then, in his own on a Saturday evening with the six children of Dr. Ray and Shirley subtle way, Mike directs attention to the little-known fact that in 1969, Hagley, who were devoted supporters of Marshall and avid Thundering freshmen were not allowed to play for the varsity ... meaning, of course, Herd fans. Their evening suddenly was interrupted with devastating the assists he recorded his freshman year were not included in his news. Local news reports indicated that a plane had crashed near overall total. Huntington's Tri-State Airport. Mike remembers that Danny knew Mike remembers having only two concerns in college: "I would immediately-it was the plane carrying most of the Marshall football study and play ball, that's it. I was very organized about the way I team and several boosters and friends, including Ray and Shirley, home studied." That organization paid off as Mike was named a first-team from the Thundering Herd's game that afternoon at East Carolina academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors University. In all, 75 people died in the worst sports tragedy in U.S. Association in 1972. Nowadays, he doesn't remember specific history. professors' names, but he does recall that he enjoyed his chemistry "It was a nightmare. To see six kids orphaned like that. It was and economics professors and made A's in most of his classes as a pre­ emotionally draining," D' Antoni laments. "When we had our first game med major. He also was awarded a $1,000 NCAA Postgraduate after that, in December, the outlines (at the crash site) were still there Scholarship in 1973, an award that was based on both athletic ability when we were flying back. Seeing all that, you just felt like throwing and academic achievement. up." But just as the rest of the community in Huntington had done Clearer in his mind, however, are numerous basketball memories after the crash, Mike and his teammates pulled together and continued from his four years at Marshall. When asked his most exciting Marshall their season, now with additional inspiration to make Marshall proud. memory, he doesn't hesitate even momentarily. "Winning the Marshall As Mike finished his senior year and the NBA draft approached, Memorial Invitational Tournament my junior year," he says. he recalls that he was excited, but that being drafted was "not such a Excitement builds in his eyes as he reminisces on that time. The big deal back then-it wasn't on TV like it is today." Ernie Salvatore, Marshall men's basketball team was ranked eighth in the nation-its a sports columnist with the The Herald-Dispatch newspaper in highest ranking ever in Division I, when it played powerful St. John's, Huntington, had coined Mike the nickname "Italian Hillbilly," and which was ranked sixth in the country. Sports Illustrated had adopted that label as well. Mike's agent in Marshall defeated St. John's, 110-107, for the MMI championship Philadelphia, Richie Phillips, learned D' Antoni was drafted when the in front of an ecstatic, sellout crowd of more than 6,500 at Memorial local newspaper called and told him that D' Antoni was the 20th pick Field House. The Thundering Herd finished the season with a 23-4 (the second pick of the second round) of the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, record and played in the NCAA Tournament for only the second time and Phillips called D' Antoni. in school history. The dream season ended with a 112-101 loss to "I was elated," Mike remembers. "I was so happy, I couldn't see Southwest Louisiana, despite D' Antoni's 26 points, 10 assists and nine straight." But being drafted did not guarantee a position on the team; rebounds. he still had to "try out." Luckily, he made the cut and signed a 2 112- Not all of Mike's memories of Marshall are of basketball victories; year contract with the Kings, but his time with the Kings was short he suffered some losses away from the court as well. As he begins to and tumultuous. PROFILES IN PROMINENCE PROFILES IN PROMINENCE 6s After joining the Kings, Mike encountered an unexpected put a knee through my thigh during practice and that was it-I couldn't realization. "I can't remember who, but someone said that the greatest play pre-season ball." disappointment is when you reach your goal (to be an NBA player), D' Antoni remembers the frustration he experienced. He had and you discover that it's not as much fun when you're being paid. It's suffered injuries before, and with this most recent incident, he wondered a funny thing, it's just ... different." if he would ever have a chance to prove himself in the NBA. His Although he was awarded all-NBA Rookie second team honors career in the States abruptly halted once again, Mike received a phone t~at first year with the Kings, Mike was having trouble finding his call from a familiar friend. "Coach Dan Peterson from Italy called me mche, and he suffered from numerous injuries.
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