"I want the facts to be out there. Then people can make their judgments. If they know what happened and then they want to pummel me, that's fine. But you don't want to be pummeled for the wrong reasons."

Reinsdorf said he told D'Antoni to get back to Paxson Saturday morning. Paxson told D'Antoni that Reinsdorf would call him that morning. But before Reinsdorf could do that, media reports indicated D'Antoni had signed with the Knicks.

D'Antoni doesn't dispute the majority of Reinsdorf's version of events, though he says he doesn't recall saying he didn't want to go to New York.

"I don't remember saying that," said D'Antoni. "Maybe. Who knows? We talked a long time. He told me this could take awhile. I said I was not in a hurry. But that night I decided, 'This is where I want to go and I don't want to use anybody.' Jerry was feeling me out a little. He was trying to get convinced. We had a good talk.

"Everyone is looking for something sinister," said D'Antoni, "something deeper. But it was just a gut feeling [I had]. I usually do that in everything, smart or not. I had only two choices. I felt good with Donnie and this was a challenge though everyone was saying to look the other way.
"It got to the point I was sure Chicago wanted me," said D'Antoni. "I like their roster. I think they can win big. But it really did not matter [about] the money. I'm not used to having people throw money at me. I didn't want to give Mr. Reinsdorf a bad impression, that I came in and took the money. That's why I didn't want another offer.

"He didn't scare me," D'Antoni said. "I liked him. I was told he was the best owner in sports. It was a good meeting. But it was my gut feeling right or wrong. I respect [the Bulls] a lot. It just got out quicker than I thought. The next thing you know it's around like wild fire. When we were getting ready to play San Antonio, I'm thinking I might be able to get an extension and stay the rest of my career in Phoenix. Two weeks later I'm on a plane to New York. How did it happen? I don't know. It's weird."

So for the Suns and Bulls, the next step is probably looking at assistant coaches once their teams are eliminated from the playoffs, as both teams figure to talk to the Boston Celtics' Tom Thibodeau and the Detroit Pistons' Michael Curry. The Bulls also are expected to look at ' Brian Shaw and Kurt Rambis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Tyrone Corbin of the Utah Jazz and Chuck Person of the Sacramento Kings. Others candidates are possible for both teams. D'Antoni, meanwhile, has to figure it out without the All Stars he had in Phoenix.

"We [with wife Laurel] like the idea of being in New York," said D'Antoni. "We're out of the city [by the upstate practice facility]. If I get beat up, hey, I'm a big boy. But I'm excited."

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