Bordow: Fans welcome back D'Antoni, even if Suns don't

Steve Nash had a simple message for Suns fans Monday morning:

Remember.

Remember what Mike D'Antoni meant to the franchise.

D'Antoni draws cheers; Suns win 111-103

SLIDESHOW: Suns vs. Knicks

Suns notebook: 'Q' returns to Phoenix for first time

Remember the 253 wins, the two Western Conference finals berths, the incredible entertainment that launched a revolution in the NBA.

Remember what the Suns were before D'Antoni was named head coach, and what they became during his four years here.

"He deserves a warm reception," Nash said. "He had a huge impact on this franchise's history.

" ... I wouldn't understand how Mike could be booed after everything he did here. There is a lot of second-guessing that can go on now, but I'm going to look back on it and say we had a great four years. We changed the face of the franchise and changed what the Suns mean to this community. It was extremely positive."

Thankfully, the sellout crowd at US Airways Center Monday night agreed with Nash. When D'Antoni was introduced as the New York Knicks' coach, he received a rousing ovation, and a majority of the fans were on their feet.

One man, however, wouldn't say thanks.

Owner Robert Sarver refused to give D'Antoni a single clap of the hands. He didn't even look in D'Antoni's direction.

Petty? You bet. But it wasn't a surprise. Suns.com employees were told they couldn't shoot video of D'Antoni during the morning shootaround. And other than the mandatory introduction with the Knicks' starting lineup, the Suns didn't do anything special to welcome D'Antoni back.

OK, so maybe D'Antoni didn't help matters when he sharply criticized Suns management in a New York Post article last week. It was a stupid thing to do.

But couldn't the Suns have stayed out of the fray for one minute and honored D'Antoni with a short tribute on the video board above center court? Instead, they ignored his return, just as they did with Shawn Marion. Stay classy, Phoenix. Stay classy.

If you're looking for a rehash of the events that led to D'Antoni's resignation, look elsewhere. That subject was bled dry by the time Monday's game began. I'll just repeat what I said last May: General manager Steve Kerr had every right to ask D'Antoni to make changes to his staff and defensive philosophy. And D'Antoni had every right to refuse and move on.

The one thing D'Antoni shouldn't have done is keep the story alive with his comments in the Post. If he had just given the boilerplate response - "I don't want to talk about the past, other than to say I thoroughly enjoyed my four years there," - the story would have died quickly for lack of oxygen.

By Monday, D'Antoni seemed to understand that he shouldn't have opened his mouth. He even talked about his departure in humorous terms. Reminded he was ejected the last time he was in US Airways Center (Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs), he smiled and said, "I got thrown out a couple of times here, even in the summer."

There was this gem, too, when someone wondered if it was a mistake to take the GM job in 2006: "It might have been," he said. "I thought it was OK. But obviously, it might have been a mistake when I gave it up."

Looking back, it was inevitable that the marriage between D'Antoni and the Suns would end badly. He wasn't hired by Kerr, and their basketball philosophies clashed. Then, too, as each year passed without a title, everyone from fans to players to ownership became a bit more disenchanted.

"People got really desperate and greedy for a championship," Nash said. "...Sometimes that pressure pervades an organization and things happen."

Maybe, a few years from now, we'll recognize what happened was the best for both parties. Kerr needed a coach he could work with, and D'Antoni needed a GM that believed in him and got out of the way.

But it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?

"I was lucky to coach them," D'Antoni said.

And the Suns were lucky to have him as their coach.