SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mike D'Antoni openly admitted Monday night's return to Phoenix, his home for six seasons, is a "big deal" to him.
"There's a lot of emotion involved," he said. "They were good years. Too bad it ended on a bad note. We set out to win a championship and didn't do it. But I still feel real close to the fans and the players."
I'll be particularly interested to see Amare Stoudemire's salutation. Will he sincerely welcome back D'Antoni, give him a perfunctory hug, or outright snub him?