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- Williams joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D鈥橝ntoni (2004-05) as coaches who have won the award with the Suns
PHOENIX: Monty Williams now has the honor that his Phoenix Suns players have been clamoring that he receive for two years: NBA鈥檚 Coach of the Year.
Good luck getting him to take credit.
鈥淚鈥檝e often said about my life that God knocks the ball out of the park and I get to run the bases,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淵eah, my name goes on the plaque, but my name represents a lot of names.鈥�
The 50-year-old Williams won the award on Monday after leading the Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins during the regular season. They were NBA鈥檚 best team by far, finishing with eight more wins than any other team.
Williams joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D鈥橝ntoni (2004-05) as coaches who have won the award with the Suns.
The runner-up to New York鈥檚 Tom Thibodeau last season, Williams was the runaway winner this time. He received 81 of 100 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters, finishing with 458 points.
Memphis鈥� Taylor Jenkins was second with 17 first-place votes and 270 points. Miami鈥檚 Erik Spoelstra and Boston鈥檚 Ime Udoka also received a first-place vote.
Williams is known for his calming presence on the sideline and tight relationships with players. He was brought to Phoenix in 2019 to rebuild a franchise that had been among the worst in the NBA over the previous decade and quickly delivered, especially once 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul signed with the Suns in 2020.
Williams said bonding with his players and their families has been rewarding.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably more important than everything that we do, from the X鈥檚 and O鈥檚 to the drills, to even playing games,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚鈥檝e probably lost out on jobs because people thought I was more interested in the relationship piece than the competition piece. I think they both go hand in hand.鈥�
Paul and fellow All-Star guard Devin Booker both posted on social media earlier Monday that Williams had won the award, even though no official announcement has been made.
Said Booker on Twitter: 鈥淧hoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been voted the NBA鈥檚 COY, book tells sources. A formal announcement is expected later today.鈥�
Paul added: 鈥淲D WS鈥ongrats Coach Mont on Coach of the Year!!鈥� The WD WS reference is a motto for the Suns, which means well done is better than well said.
Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 to Dec. 2, including a 16-0 record in November. That was tied for the second-most wins in a month without a loss in NBA history, trailing Atlanta鈥檚 17-0 record in January 2015.
Williams led the Suns to the NBA Finals last season, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. They are currently tied 2-2 with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.
This is Williams鈥� second head coaching job in the NBA. He led the New Orleans Pelicans for five seasons from 2010 to 2015, making the playoffs twice, but was fired after being swept in the first round of the playoffs in 2015.
Paul played for Williams during part of his tenure in New Orleans. The two reunited in the desert and have had considerable success.
Both are still searching for a title, but have learned to enjoy the smaller victories along the way.
鈥淲e all want to win a championship, and yet there are some things we do along the way that you can try to enjoy to the best of your ability,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e still focused on how you get there. It鈥檚 these opposing deals at times. You want to enjoy it, but you鈥檙e pounding the rock.鈥�