The inaugural Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year award was announced this week and Houston Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra are co-recipients of the honor.
According to the NBA Official Press Release:
The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award recognizes the dedication and hard work of NBA Head Coaches and is presented annually to a Head Coach who helps guide his players to a higher level of performance on the court and shows outstanding service and dedication to the community off the court. It honors the spirit of Michael H. Goldberg who set the standard for loyalty, integrity, love of the game, passionate representation, and tireless promotion of NBA Coaching. It is unique in that it is the only award voted upon by the winners’ peers, the Head Coaches of all 30 NBA teams.
The voting for this year’s award illustrates the depth of coaching excellence in the NBA as 9 of the 30 Head Coaches received votes. In addition to D’Antoni and Spoelstra, the following coaches also received votes: Scott Brooks, Dave Fizdale, Steve Kerr, Jason Kidd, Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers and Quin Snyder.
“Congratulations to Mike and Erik on their outstanding work this year. And somewhere up above, our good friend Michael Goldberg is very proud,” said Dallas Mavericks Head Coach and National Basketball Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle.
Under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, the Houston Rockets finished the 2016-2017 regular season with 55 wins, good for the third best overall record in the NBA. His signature up-tempo system unleashed one of the most dynamic offensive seasons in NBA history. The Rockets broke the single season record for most 3-point field goals made with 1,181. The Rockets also ranked in the top 3 in the NBA in offensive efficiency rating, effective field goal percentage and pace of play. Under D’Antoni, James Harden thrived as a full-time point guard and quickly elevated his game and that of his teammates.
Congratulations to Coach Mike D’Antoni, who in his first season with the Rockets, managed to unlock potential that has been brewing for years.