THE LOCKER ROOM 5/15 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Isiah Thomas is scouting two European lottery possibilities. (NY Post)
• Mike Mussina won his fifth straight start down in Tampa. (NYY)
• Aaron Heilman had a rough outing in the Mets' loss to Washington. (NYM)
• Manny Ramirez made a catch, high-fived a fan, then turned two. (MLB)
• Justine Henin and Annika Sorenstam retired on their own terms. (ESPN)
• Sen. Arlen Specter wants an independent investigation into Spygate. (AP)
• A suspect in Sean Taylor's slaying will serve 29 years in prison. (AP)
• The OHSAA ruled O.J. Mayo's HS team can keep its state titles. (ESPN)
• NYU Grad William Lopez dashed onto the Yankee Stadium field. (NY Daily News)

Mike D'Antoni Introduced as Knicks Head Coach

Mike D'Antoni was introduced as the new Head Coach of the New York Knicks today.

The 24th coach in franchise history is excited about this new opportunity.

WATCH: Donnie Walsh discusses why he selected D'Antoni to coach the Knicks.

WATCH: D'Antoni answers questions from the throng of New York media.

WATCH: D'Antoni explains how he plans to change the Knicks' culture.

WATCH: Al Trautwig gets D'Antoni to explain what his first priority is.

WATCH: Walsh explains the process of choosing to hire D'Antoni.

WATCH: Quentin Richardson is glad to be reunited with D'Antoni.

WATCH: Stephon Marbury can't wait to play a more up-tempo style.

WATCH: Nate Robinson is ready to give D'Antoni his all.

MORE:

• D'Antoni Named 24th Coach in Franchise History
• What Do You Think About the Hiring?
• Reactions From Around the Web

Knicks Name Mike D'Antoni Head Coach

Here's the official word from the New York Knicks:

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that Mike D’Antoni has been named the 24th head coach in the franchise’s 62-year history.

Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"After thorough discussions with several impressive candidates, it was clear that Mike D’Antoni is the right coach to lead the New York Knicks," Walsh said.

"Mike has established himself as one of the top coaches in our game and his expertise will be key as we work towards our goal of bringing winning basketball back to New York."

D’Antoni has compiled a .608 winning percentage (267-172) in six seasons as an NBA head coach with the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

Named NBA Coach of the Year in 2004-05, D’Antoni has guided the Suns to 54 or more wins in each of the last four seasons while earning a reputation as one of the top offensive minds in the game.

The Mullens, WV native brings over three decades of professional basketball experience to New York as a player, coach, front office executive and scout in the NBA, ABA and the Italian League.

"It is an honor to be named head coach of the New York Knicks, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports," D’Antoni said. "I am thankful to Donnie for this opportunity and I look forward to the challenge of producing a winner for New York."

D’Antoni guided the Suns to the postseason in each of the last four seasons, including consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006. After coaching Denver during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, D’Antoni went overseas and led Benetton Treviso to the 2002 Italian League Championship before being named head coach of the Suns 21 games into the 2003-04 season.

The 57-year old D’Antoni coached the 2007 Western Conference All-Star Team and currently serves as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s Men’s Senior National Team that will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

MORE:

• Is D'Antoni the Right Choice?
• Reactions From Around the Web

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/12 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

The New York Knicks have agreed in principle with Mike D'Antoni to become the next head coach of the team. A press conference will be scheduled upon the completion of the contract.

Here are the reactions to the move across the web:

• Could the Knicks' hiring of D'Antoni open the door for LeBron? (Newsday)
• Marc Berman gives kudos to Donnie Walsh on the hire. (NY Post)
• Mitch Lawrence suggests D'Antoni should be the Knicks' GM. (NY Daily News)
• The Knicks' rebuilding process just got a huge jumpstart. (AOL Fanhouse)
• D'Antoni faces a big challenge with a roster that needs work. (SI)
• Marc Stein answers five burning questions about the teams involved. (ESPN)
• Walsh finally got his man, but is it the right one at the right time? (Yahoo!)
• Knicks now being shown in "3D" - Dolan, Donnie and D'Antoni. (NYDN)
• Peter Vecsey feels Walsh should've chosen Mark Jackson. (NYP)
• Walsh's first big moves show he's going to walk the walk. (ESPN)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/9 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Donnie Walsh has turned up the heat on Chicago for Mike D'Antoni. (ESPN)
• Bernie Bickerstaff could help Mark Jackson land the Knicks gig. (Newsday)
• Third time's the charm? David Wells wants to pitch in the Bronx again. (NY Post)
• Donald Trump threw Alex Rodriguez under the bus. (AOL Fanhouse)
• The Yankees broke out of an offensive funk vs. Cleveland. (NYY)
• David Dellucci took issue with Joba Chamberlain's celebration. (NY Daily News)
• Willie Randolph puts up with a lot and has been grossly misunderstood. (NYDN)
• The Nets promoted Kiki Vandeweghe to General Manager. (NJN)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/6 - Evening Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...

• Even A-Rod's wife questions her husband's masculinity. (Deadspin)
• Donnie Walsh met with Avery Johnson today. (Yahoo!)
• Roger Clemens was allowed to keep his lawyer in his defamation suit. (AP)
• Ozzie Guillen defended his team's use of inflatable dolls as "slump busters." (CST)
• Ken Griffey Jr. expects to be traded by the Reds. (AOL Fanhouse)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/2 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Rangers avoided elimination against Pittsburgh in Game 4. (NYR)
• Phil Hughes will be out of the Yankees' rotation until July. (NYDN)
• Bobby Murcer is ready to begin broadcasting Yankees games again. (NYY)
• Avery Johnson and Mike D'Antoni are on Donnie Walsh's radar. (NY Post)
• A former stripper claims she had an affair with Roger Clemens. (NYDN)
• David Wright needs to have a bigger clubhouse conscience. (Newsday)
• Jose Canseco's $2.5 million home was foreclosed on in Los Angeles. (AP)
• Why are statutory rape allegations against Karl Malone being ignored? (AOL)
• Tim Montgomery has been indicted on heroin distribution charges. (ESPN)

Walsh Reassigns Thomas

Knicks President Donnie Walsh relieved Isiah Thomas of his coaching duties Friday afternoon and reassigned him within the organization.

MORE:

• Mike & Clyde Look Back & Look Ahead
• Donnie Walsh Makes His Move
• Knicks Fans Look to Future

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/17 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Scott Gomez scored twice as the Rangers put the Devils on the brink of elimination with a 5-3 win at The Garden Wednesday night.

• The Knicks tied a franchise record with their 59th loss in their season finale Wednesday, falling to the Pacers 132-123 at Conseco Fieldhouse. Team president Donnie Walsh was honored by his former team before the game.

• Alex Rodriguez took sole possession of 15th place on the all-time home run list with his 522nd blast Wednesday, passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey, as the Yankees' offense exploded on the Red Sox for a 15-9 win at Yankee Stadium.

• Jose Reyes was back to being his usual fired-up self, hitting one of the Mets' three home runs in a 5-2 win over the Nationals at Shea Stadium Wednesday.

• Contrary to GM Omar Minaya's assessment, Pedro Martinez hopes to return to the Mets starting rotation before the end of April.

• The NHL will stay with an 82-game schedule for the 2008-09 season, rejecting a plan to add two games.

• Washington's two U.S. senators are asking the NBA to delay its scheduled vote on whether the Seattle SuperSonics can move to Oklahoma City.

• UCLA All-American Kevin Love will announce his plans for next season at a campus news conference Thursday.

Courtside with Mike & Clyde: Putting a Wrap on Knicks Season

The Knicks dropped their season finale Wednesday night in Indiana to finish the year at 23-59.

Mike Breen and I look back on the disappointing season, and look ahead at some of what the new President Donnie Walsh is facing.

CLICK HERE to watch Isiah Thomas, Jamal Crawford and David Lee talk about the tough season and what may lie ahead for the team.

MORE:

• Knick Fans Keeping the Faith
• Clyde Looks at the Bright Side
• Earl was a Pearl of a Ballplayer

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/10 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Energized by former Devil Scott Gomez, who assisted on three goals, the Rangers defeated the Devils 4-1 at the Prudential Center on Wednesday night to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

• New Knicks president Donnie Walsh said Isiah Thomas will finish the season as the Knicks' coach, but needs a good explanation for why things went so horribly wrong for any chance to last beyond that.

• A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charged that unidentified agents for baseball players steered clients to a California physician linked in media reports to supplying Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis with illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

• According to the New York Times, Major League Baseball and the players union have tentatively agreed to have an administrator oversee the sport's drug-testing program as they move toward adopting many of the recommendations in the Mitchell report.

• As ESPN.com's Andy Katz writes, USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo will declare for the NBA draft and will hire an agent soon.

• The Jets and safety Kerry Rhodes agreed to a contract extension Wednesday that will keep one of the team's biggest playmakers in New York's secondary for five more years.

• Fausto Carmona has agreed to terms on a seven-year contract with the Cleveland Indians.

• Marion Jones' former relay teammates paid the price Thursday for her doping offenses, losing their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/3 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• New Knicks president Donnie Walsh faces a tough task in trying to turn the team around. His new team was crushed by the Grizzlies, 130-114, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis Wednesday night.

• Oliver Perez tossed six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and the Mets' offense exploded for 13 runs as they shut out the Marlins 13-0 in Miami Wednesday.

• Alex Rodriguez hit homer No. 519, his first of the season, but the Yankees fell to the Blue Jays, 5-2, at Yankee Stadium Wednesday.

• NFL owners passed some proposals and ignored others at the annual NFL owners meetings.

• Lawyers for Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia University will meet in court for the first time at a hearing on Thursday on scheduling and pretrial motions in the lawsuit over a $4 million contract buyout clause.

• Former Marquette coach Tom Crean will attempt to rebuild the Indiana Hoosiers after agreeing to an eight-year deal worth $18.24 million.

• Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has been accused of punching an 18-year-old man in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

• Clippers power forward Elton Brand is back, just in time to potentially make life tough for some Western Conference teams fighting for playoff position.

Knicks Players React To Walsh Hire

How do the Knicks feel about Donnie Walsh's arrival on the scene?

The Knicks are cautiously optimistic about Walsh's change of address from Indiana to New York.

MORE:

• Isiah Not Doubting Walsh
• Walsh Has Eye On Future
• Allow Me To Introduce Myself

An Exclusive Sit-Down With Knicks New President

After Wednesday's press conference, I had the opportunity to talk with Donnie Walsh at great length in our MSG studios.

We discussed everything from what he knows about the current players to what he hopes to accomplish.

Watch the full exclusive interview right here.

MORE:

• Thomas Hopes To Remain With Knicks
• Breen And Frazier Discuss Walsh Hiring
• Walsh Brings Strong Pedigree To Knicks

Thomas Looks To Walsh Era

What does the arrival of Donnie Walsh mean for Isiah Thomas?

Thomas worked with Walsh before in Indiana, and looks forward to working with him again.

Check out what else Thomas has to say about Walsh being in New York City.

MORE:

• Things For Knicks Looking Up
• Knicks Get Back To The Future
• Knicks In Play-Offs? Picture It Now

A Great Day For The Knicks

It's a great day for the Knicks organization, and when Donnie Walsh says, "It's not the players, it's the mix of players" that has contributed to the team's struggles in recent seasons, Clyde Frazier and I second that emotion.

With that said, Clyde and I evaluate what affect the arrival of Donnie Walsh will have on the Knicks future.

MORE:

• Knicks Look To The Future
• One Picture Worth A Thousand Words
• Donnie Walsh: Phone Home

Walsh Focuses On Knicks' Future

Donnie Walsh brings his resume, pedigree, all that and more with him from the Indiana Pacers to the Knicks.

This is what I think Walsh will do to help the Knicks succeed in the short- and long-term.

• Press On Donnie Walsh
• Donnie Walsh: Picture This
• Inside The Donnie Walsh Presser

Walsh Introduced As New Knicks President

James L. Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden and president and chief executive officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation, announced Wednesday that Donnie Walsh has been named president, basketball operations of the New York Knicks.

Watch Mr. Dolan introduce Walsh and the rest of the press conference right here.

WATCH: Walsh speaks about becoming Knicks new President

WATCH: Walsh fields questions from the media

MORE:

• Observations from the press conference

Knicks Photo Gallery: Donnie Walsh

Donnie Walsh was introduced as the Knicks new President of Basketball Operations in a press conference at The Garden Wednesday, April 2.

Learn more about the accomplished executive by clicking here.

MORE:

• Behind The Scenes At Press Conference

Observations From Inside The Donnie Walsh Press Conference

Pre-conference

It's about 30 minutes before the press conference is set to begin; the cameramen and photographers are here setting up, checking their white balance. There's literally a guy standing in front of the dais holding a piece of white printer paper for his photographer. Weird.

Picture a graph partially filled in with a No. 2 pencil. That's what the grid of chairs looks like as reporters file in slowly.

There's a pretty nice spread laid out for the press. It's not quite palatial, but it's no school cafeteria either. If only people weren't staring at me as I make my way toward the buffet. It's lunch time and I could totally go for one of those chocolate chip cookies right now.

Donnie Walsh has yet to arrive, but there's a lot of small talk going on. I'm trying to eavesdrop without making it look too obvious. Being a fly on the wall would sure come in handy right now.

There's a lot of movement now as members of the media rush to their seats as the man of the hour finally makes his way into the room with Garden chairman, James Dolan, and SVP of communications, Barry Watkins.

At every press conference I've attended or seen on TV, there's usually at least three seats with a number of microphones perched on a long table. Today, there's only one seat.

Conference

While the stage seems calm, there's an awful lot of movement as the photogs are scuttling about.

Man, these guys, and gals, get themselves into some funky positions to get a good shot. They must take Pilates. It sounds like a drumline as they snap away.

The opening statements are over. Walsh seems calm and composed as he answers questions.

Walsh's ability to make the room laugh then stand at attention two questions later is impressive.

A reporter's cell phone went off for the second time, but no one seems to care.

And we're done.

For now.

Now the video people are bustling around to get in the next position while reporters are comparing notes.

After answering questions for 45 minutes, Walsh now has to sit and endure several one-on-ones. The man is a machine. He hasn't stopped to take a sip of water once. Here's hoping he stays hydrated!

MORE:

• Knicks Name Walsh President Of Basketball Operations

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/2 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• News outlets are reporting that the New York Knicks will turn their basketball operations over to Donnie Walsh in a 1 p.m. press conference at Madison Square Garden this afternoon.

• Chien-Ming Wang out-dueled Roy Halladay as the Yankees won the final home opener at Yankee Stadium, 3-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night.

• Pedro Martinez left the Mets' 5-4, extra-inning loss to the Marlins in the fourth inning with a strained left hamstring.

• The New Jersey Devils clinched a playoff spot with their 2-1 OT win over the division rival Islanders.

• Five Knicks scored in double figures, but New York was unable to contain Milwaukee's Michael Redd in a 119-115 overtime loss to the Bucks Tuesday at the Bradley Center.