The high-octane offense that he brought with him from Italy and that surged through the Phoenix Suns franchise in the early 2000s inspired Jack McCallum's classic sports book ":07 Seconds or Less." The phrase, which was D'Antoni's directive to those Suns teams to attempt a field goal in the first ticks of the 24-second shot clock before the defense could settle in, became synonymous with the skilled, floor-spaced game that replaced the post-up battles of the 1980s and isolation-heavy possessions of the 1990s. And the phrase became the two-time Italian League championship-winning coach's calling card when he came back to the NBA nearly 30 years after his playing career was limited to just two games with the San Antonio Spurs. "That's the reason why I'm getting in the Hall of Fame," D'Antoni told ESPN. ESPN
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mike D'Antoni on 7 Seconds or Less Suns: That's the reason why I'm getting in the Hall of Fame