Dallas ? During Avery Johnson’s playing days, many executives and players thought the point guard would make a great NBA coach. Still, he had to be convinced it was time to make that transition.

Now, after his first full season leading the Dallas Mavericks, Johnson was honored Tuesday as the NBA coach of the year.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban remembers talking to Johnson nearly two years ago about retiring as a player and becoming the top assistant – and eventual successor – to Don Nelson.

Cuban told Johnson, “I know you can still play, but we want to start you on the path to being a Hall of Fame coach.” Johnson’s response then, “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

There’s no more doubt. Johnson is a coaching natural.

Johnson led the Mavericks to 60 victories this season, matching the team record for wins. That mark was first set three years ago, when Johnson was still playing for Dallas.

“I think I’m gifted to do what I’m doing, that this is what I’m here for,” Johnson said. “I felt like a coach when I was a player. … In a lot of ways, I know some things are still new to me. But in other ways, I just feel like I’ve been doing this a lot of time, and a lot of it just comes naturally.”

Johnson retired as a player and became a Mavericks assistant coach before the 2004-05 season. After replacing Nelson as head coach on March 19, 2005, he reached 50 wins faster than any other coach (62 games).

Johnson got 63 first-place votes from the panel of 124 sports writers and broadcasters. He had 419 points, 172 more than Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni, last year’s winner. D’Antoni had 27 first-place votes.

Dallas plays Game 2 of its first-round Western Conference series against Memphis tonight.