Warren LeGarie is one of the most important movers and shakers of the NBA you’ve never heard of.
Best known for founding the wildly successful NBA Las Vegas Summer League five years ago that has knocked out all competitors, LeGarie is also coach Mike D’Antoni’s agent and a key reason he wound up in New York and not Chicago.
LeGarie, 55, one of the all time schmoozers, was in New York this week, attending Knicks practice and lining up D’Antoni for TV appearances with David Letterman and Charlie Rose.
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Monday’s Letterman gig – with D’Antoni slated to read the Top 10 List of Knicks promises for 2008-09 – got postponed. Both sides agreed D’Antoni doing comedy in the wake of the Isiah Thomas overdose would not be appropriate. But LeGarie is working on rescheduling. D’Antoni’s appearance on Rose should air next week.
D’Antoni has gotten heat this week for using a vulgar term to describe Knicks fans who were chanting for Stephon Marbury. Nevertheless, LaGarie says D’Antoni is the perfect talk-show guest.
“One thing I like about Mike, he doesn’t sweat the small stuff,” LeGarie said. “He’s comfortable in his own skin.”
Though many pundits predicted D’Antoni would wind up in Chicago, LeGarie kept insisting during the sweepstakes to anyone who would listen the Knicks were the frontrunners. LeGarie got a vibe from Donnie Walsh the Bulls could not match.
“The love was unconditional,” LeGarie said. “Chicago did nothing wrong. The Knicks did everything right.”
LeGarie is the agent for five other NBA head coaches – Rick Carlisle, George Karl, Mike Dunleavy, Mike Iavarone and Mike Brown, plus Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe.
A San Francisco resident, LeGarie is embarking on a new venture – opening a northern Italian restaurant in Frisco’s Mission District called Specchio that will serve past midnight. The grand opening is Monday.
LeGarie says there might soon be a “D’Antoni Dish” on the menu.
“If he spends enough money in there, that is,” LeGarie said.