D'Antoni steps down as Nets assistant

Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D'Antoni stepped down from his full-time role on Steve Nash's coaching staff, the team announced Wednesday.

D'Antoni is expected to pursue another full-time head coaching position in the future, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I would like to thank Mike for everything he did for me, as well as our organization, over the past year," Nash said in a statement. "Having Mike next to me was invaluable as I navigated my first season as head coach.

"I will be forever grateful for his guidance and will carry on a lifetime of lessons from the many years we've spent together."

Brooklyn hired D'Antoni last October after the 70-year-old amassed a 672-527 record across 16 seasons as a head coach with the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets.

D'Antoni earned Coach of the Year honors in 2004-05 when he guided Nash and the Suns to the league's best regular-season record. Phoenix suffered defeat in the Western Conference finals to the eventual champions, the San Antonio Spurs.

He also won the award after the 2016-17 campaign while with the Rockets.