NBA: Mike D’Antoni tells Rockets he will not return as coach

Mike D’Antoni will not return as coach of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, ESPN reported Sunday.

“It is with tremendous sadness and gratitude that my wife Laurel and I announce that our incredible journey in Houston is over for now and that we will move on to a new chapter,” D’Antoni said in a statement to ESPN that addressed the community of Houston

“Our time here was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making us feel like true Houstonians. “

D’Antoni, 69, turned down extension offers before this season and his contract expired when the Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers from the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.

D’Antoni took the helm of the Rockets in the 2016-17 season and guided them to a 217-101 record since then.

This season, he led the team to a 44-28 record.

But the Rockets fell in the conference semifinals for the third time in their tenure, having reached the conference finals only once in that span, in 2018.