Below is a transcript of the press conference…

Donnie Walsh: After a long search that lasted over three weeks, I decided that Mike D’Antoni is the right fit to coach the New York Knicks as we build this team back to contention. Mike is a proven winner not only in this league, with a long, impressive coaching resume in the NBA and abroad. While Mike’s style in Phoenix was extremely successful, with a running offensive team, he can adjust his style to the personnel. We will work together to build this team to be competitive as quickly as possible, and bring excitement back to Madison Square Garden. I have admired Mike for a long time, and I know exactly what he’s capable of as a coach. He teaches his teams how to win, and that’s probably the most simplistic, but profound statement. I look forward to working with Mike, I think he’ll be a great partner to work with, to turn this thing around. So Mike, welcome to the New York Knicks

Mike D’Antoni: Thank You. I’d like to thank Mr. James Dolan, Donnie, and the Knicks organization. This is a great opportunity for me, and I’m excited to get started. I know the job has to be done, and with Donnie, we’ll get it done. So if there are any questions…

Question: Mike, the general feeling was that maybe this wasn’t the right fit for you because of the personnel and the style you run. Why did you think otherwise?

D’Antoni: I think foremost, having Donnie on my side is a big asset, and I can adjust to the style. This is about the players and the team that you have, and how to win. That’s what we’re going to try to do. We were seven seconds or less, and the rules state it has to be 24 seconds or less, so we can adjust it to anything that we want.

Question: How difficult a decision was this for you? Not just the decision between Chicago and New York, but even in deciding to leave Phoenix?

D’Antoni: I think the biggest hurdle was getting over the emotional ties with Phoenix and coming to the decision that it just wasn’t going to work out. Once that happened, then the two teams that I was in a position to talk to were both great teams and great organizations, and were super jobs. So it wasn’t a hard decision, it was trying to make the right decision, and I think for me and my family the right decision was New York.

Question: Is it fair to say that up to 50% of the current 12 man roster won’t be around next year?

D’Antoni: I look at the roster, and that’s the roster I’m going to win with. Donnie and I will work together and we’ll see where we go. Obviously every NBA team has some turnover, but I didn’t come here thinking we’ll have to start from zero. I like the players in general, and put in the right position, then hopefully they can perform and be productive and that’s what we’re going to try to do.

Question: How much emphasis do you put on defense when you’re coaching?

D’Antoni: That’s been a hot topic lately! One thing for sure, we averaged 58 wins in four years, so 58 times a year we were the best defensive team on the floor. From there, I think every coach tries to coach both sides of the ball. You want to be the best defensive coach and the best offensive coach, but a lot of times your players dictate one that’s better than the other. Like I said before, we’re just trying to put the players in the best position to win whether that’s offensively or defensively. And to be honest with you, we were really good offensively, so practices and coaching and film work were all on the defensive end. It wasn’t for lack of trying. But I think our guys got a little bit of a bad rap in Phoenix for not playing defense. You don’t win 31 road games without playing defense or rebounding or moving the basketball. I think our guys did a great job, so I’m proud of them, and that’s not going to be an issue.

Question: New York is a tough place to work. There are a lot of guys who’ve come in with sterling reputations but have left town. What is it that you think you bring to this team basketball-wise that’s going to make you different from other people who have failed?

D’Antoni: Well first of all there’s a lot of cities littered with people who have failed. It’s not just New York. Coaching is a tough profession, and the longevity of it…I mean, I was in Phoenix my second year and I had the longest tenure of any Eastern Conference coach, so, it’s not just New York. It’s a hard job, but it’s an enjoyable job, and I couldn’t think of a better place to coach than in New York. Just the lifestyle, the organization is first class, I’ve got a great guy to work with, I’ll love my players and try to bring in a good coaching staff as well as I can, and we’re going to tackle it. This is basketball, this is fun, so I’m excited for it.

Question: How long do you think it will take for this franchise to be respectable?

D’Antoni: Well one thing I heard is that you guys will give me plenty of time. (laughs). That means the third game of the preseason, we need to show you something that we’ve turned it around. But we don’t have a crystal ball, but I will guarantee you that there are 30 teams out there preparing to make the playoffs for next year, and we’re going to do everything we can to get there. The only thing I can promise you is that we’re going to play hard and we’re going to be exciting. So put on your seatbelts, and let’s go for it.

Question: It’s been said that you’re not a big fan of Stephon Marbury as a point guard. Could you shed some light on that?

D’Antoni: Well, we traded Quentin Richardson too, and I love Quentin and he’s here. I won 62 games with Quentin Richardson and have nothing but great memories, so there’s also the business side of basketball and that has to be addressed, and back to those days in Phoenix that was kind of a business decision. I have no problems with Stephon whatsoever. I think he’s a very talented basketball player, and I look forward to working with him.

Question: Do you think there is an unfair stereotype around you based on the way you have coached so far?

D’Antoni: Well, that’s the way that was successful in Phoenix. That might not be successful at the next stop. We had a unique team, and I thought we got the best out of what we had, and hopefully that’s what I’m going to do with the Knicks. But also, like I said before, I don’t know if that’s as fast up and down that we can go, or if that’s a nice pace, I do know there are things that are constant, that’s things like ball movement, spacing and playing as hard as you can. If we can do that, then the style will be what it is.

Question: When you played New York last year, what’s the one trait you thought they needed to be more successful in?

D’Antoni: We’ll, I was just looking to try to beat them. I didn’t care if they were successful or not, I was just hoping they wouldn’t show up. So its hard for me to have a magic wand and say they need this, you have a bunch of coaches trying their hardest to get them to play hard and to win. And that’s what I’m going to do. We all have different styles and different ways to go about it, and sometimes a different voice is better, and I’m not smart enough to figure that one out yet. But we’ll go through the summer and evaluate everything and put a great product on the floor.

Question: Given your preference, what style would you prefer?

D’Antoni: We can go five or six seconds or less. We want to run. We want to be exciting. I just think that’s a great way to play, and the players love it. You have to be successful at it, and you have to play defense. I know that. We want to win a championship eventually, and I know I do as a coach. And I know all the components that you have to have. You have to have rebounding, defense and a great offense. And we will tinker with it until we get those components in the mix. At the same time, we have players and we will try to play to their strengths, and do the best job you can do and put them in the position to win every night. At that point, you keep plugging away. And we didn’t get it done in Phoenix. I thought we had some chances to win championships, and no one is more disappointed than me, but we were there competing every night, and we had chances to win championships, and if we do that, then I’m pretty happy as a coach.

Question: Can you tell us what traits players have that you want to coach?

D’Antoni: I don’t think its any secret. I want players that can shoot, run, play defense, rebound and be great teammates. I think that’s the obvious answer, and not all players are like that, but basically having a great character and being a good teammate, and from there anything can be accomplished.

Question: How do you change the culture of this team to expect to win every night?

D’Antoni: We can sit here and talk all day and all summer. And it’s great to debate it back and forth about style and all this stuff, but the bottom line is we need to win, and do it as soon as we can, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve also been in organizations and places where we didn’t win, and it’s not the greatest existence. But I’m just looking forward to it. I love our players, and we’ll see what we can do.

Question: Have you had any discussions with Steve Nash? And also, the NBA draft presents a great crop of point guards this year. Are there any discussions you’ve had regarding that?

D’Antoni: We’ll get back to the draft. I’m sure we’ll get to that. We’ve had scouts who have been doing it for years and I’m sure they are prepared and ready to do it. We’ll hone in and I’m sure our opinions will be thrown around, and we’ll see what happens on that end. Steve Nash, with him and a lot of players in that organization, I wouldn’t be here without them. My son is very happy because I will be able to send him to a great school because of Steve and the rest of the guys. We’re all one big happy family, but its time for me to move on, and I’m really happy to be here, but I have nothing but thanks not only to that organization, but mainly the players.

Question: Donnie, a few weeks ago you said there were some playoff teams that might cut ties with their coaches. Was Mike one of those guys you thought would be available?

Walsh: I’m not sure I thought Mike would be available at that point when I said that, but I was looking to see what was going to happen. And sort of following it, I saw there was the possibility he might be loose. And then basically a week ago, I got a call from Steve Kerr who said, ‘We’ll give you permission to talk to Mike D’Antoni,” and I said, “Great!”. And I was on a plane and was there probably a day later, and had an interview with him. And basically I was very impressed with what he had to say, but I can’t say that when I first got here I thought Mike would be available, so I thought it would be good fortune if we could get a coach like this, and that’s why I did hone in on him at a certain point. But obviously it was fluid in the sense that there were other times, not only on Mike, but the other people I was talking to. So it was a very crammed week, lets put it that way.