Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni to be inducted into Hall of Fame
Mike D’Antoni, who owns by far the best winning percentage as a head coach in Rockets history, is headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Mike D’Antoni, who served as head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2016 until 2020, is reportedly headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The news was first reported by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98. 7 in Phoenix, where D’Antoni coached the Suns from 2003 until 2008.
Other members of the 2026 Hall of Fame class reportedly include Amar’e Stoudemire, Doc Rivers, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne. Known best for his innovative and guard-friendly schemes on offense, D’Antoni ranks 22nd in all-time wins as an NBA coach. He is also 24th in coaching victories during the playoffs.
D’Antoni finished his Houston tenure (2016-17 through 2019-20) in the No. 2 spot in both categories, trailing only Hall of Fame coach and two-time NBA champion Rudy Tomjanovich. He's easily the top coach in Rockets history by winning percentage (217-101, .
682). Those Houston years included a memorable 2017-18 campaign in which the Rockets (65-17) finished with the most wins of any NBA team, and it remains a franchise record to this day. As the star player and centerpiece of D'Antoni’s high-powered offense, James Harden easily won league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.