http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2001/2001/0426/1186816.html I always type espn.com/nba to get to the nba page. Usually it redirects, but every once in a while it messes up and get me like the 2004 nba page and this time it hit the 2001 nba playoffs page...weird flashbacks. Anyhow, the main story is the Blazers-Lakers series, but then there's this article about JVG in addition to stuff on the Knicks Raptors series. Interesting time capsule type stuff: ---------------- Van Gundy makes his mark in postseason By Adrian Wojnarowski Special to ESPN.com NEW YORK -- Pat Riley has never considered himself part of the so-called coaching fraternity, the phony, back-slapping band of cutthroats pretending to be pals. Jeff Van Gundy fights for his players -- and they respond. As the rest of the profession passes out praise like lollipops, Riley refuses to along with it, barely pausing to acknowledge the work of the winners within the profession. Through the years, Riley has found the man responsible for tearing down his championship dreams was no longer the bald eagle of the Bulls, but the balding coach of the Knicks, Jeff Van Gundy. To Riley, this is predominately a profession of people deserving to be referred to by first names. Whom does Riley call coach? There was Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and his own father, Lee, and that's about it. And then, almost two years ago, a letter was delivered to Van Gundy at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta prior to the start of the Knicks-Hawks playoff series. On the manila envelope, there were large letters written in Magic Marker -- a Riley trademark -- and right away Van Gundy was tipped to the identity of the sender. Coach Riley always wrote in those big block letters using Magic Marker. What hit Van Gundy hardest was the word preceding his name on the envelope, the title, "Coach Jeff Van Gundy." For the first time, Riley called him "Coach." After a play called "triangle down" had freed Allan Houston for the winning shot in the Knicks' Game 5 victory over the Heat in those playoffs, in his most drained and devastated hours, Riley reached out to his protege to dole out his ultimate concession of respect. Coach Riley called him Coach Van Gundy. The contents of the letter are such a meaningful tribute to Van Gundy, it stays within arm's reach. Along with two poems his father, Bill, gave him years ago, that Riley letter still stays in Van Gundy's travel bag. This was a validation the rest of us shouldn't have needed. Van Gundy is an excellent coach, working his way to greatness. Let him get Chris Webber this offseason and watch him in the backseat of a convertible in a ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan next spring. With the Knicks' Game 1 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Van Gundy won his 36th playoff game as coach of the Knicks, passing Riley and closing on Red Holzman's 54. During the regular season, he passed Riley on the Knicks' regular season career victory list. He's just trailing Holzman and Joe Lapchick now. Van Gundy has developed into one of the great defensive minds in the game, one of the great tacticians and one of the greats at game preparation in basketball. When it comes to tournament time, his mentors, Riley and Rick Pitino, have a hard time matching his mind. "Nobody prepares for an opponent better than Jeff," Knicks guard Mark Jackson said. His forever-changing traps have confounded the Raptors' Vince Carter to start two straight playoffs series against the Knicks. Last year, Carter missed 17 of 20 shots in Game 1. This year, it was 17 of 22. Jackson warns people: Don't rip Carter, praise Van Gundy. Most of all, the Knicks coach has made his name in the playoffs bringing down Riley and the Heat, forever staying one move ahead of Riley in the final minutes of games. Van Gundy is 16-4 in first-round playoff games. He'll give up his Diet Cokes sooner than he'll give up court advantage with a Game 1 loss. "In the playoffs the team gets a chance to prepare for you more, and they know every set that you are going to run," said the Raptors' Charles Oakley, an ex-Knick. "They (the Knicks) know every set that we've run, and they're calling it out before we get to half-court. We don't know their sets as good as they know our sets. "They understand better and I think Jeff presents it to them in way and drills it in their head all year." Long ago, Riley taught him the most important lesson of all: There's no cardboard cutout for the model of a successful coach. He can be big or small, black or white. He can have slicked back hair or a balding pate. The Knicks understand Van Gundy makes it to his office by 5:30 a.m., most mornings, watches tape until he's bug-eyed, and always will give them the best chance for victory. They don't have to love his dour self, just respect his relentless genius on their behalf. He's always under scrutiny for his distant relationships with his best players, Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby. Yet, it's strange, isn't it, that he seldom gets the credit for the fact these two have played the best basketball of their lives in his system? Had Riley or Phil Jackson made a winner out of Sprewell, a fighter out of Camby, they would be praised to the ends of the earth. When Van Gundy does it, well, it must been despite him. Now, Riley is on the brink of losing a first-round series for the third straight year, an old assistant named Paul Silas doing it to him this time as Charlotte's coach. The Knicks won't get a chance to make it four straight on the Heat, won't get a chance for Riley to be reminded the hard way again: It's Coach Van Gundy, always "Coach" to him. -------------- i think this link will take you to that front page from 2001, pretty cool: http://espn.go.com/nba/index/
What a great read. Sometimes we truly forget how lucky we are in Houston in terms of the great coaches we've had in the recent years.
Nice find indeed. Strange to hear him spoken of so highly, when nowadays every other fan wants to slit his throat and put him out with the trash. Let him have a consistent and healthy roster for a season and see what he does. He's been having to mix and match (due to injury or trade) ever since he got in town. I mean, he got a healthy team led by Steve Francis of all people into the 7th spot in the West. If he had Juwan Howard against Dallas we would have won that series, and who knows how much more. He's still the same coach that took the Knicks to the Finals, and probably even better now. No reason to call for his head like some people around here do.
I'm back on the JVG bandwagon for now, given the 50 seats he's buying for the fans, and the fact that former players brag about his basketball mind. Also, he's pretty damn funny on the radio. But I'm fickle, so I'll probably jump off the bandwagon after the first three game losing streak.
Hopefully that isn't by game 4. Seriously though, I'd like to see what he can do with a full season of healthy Rockets!
Oh, it doesn't matter what is said about JVG- I've learned that if you want to criticize someone, there are always things you can use to support your contention. If JVG leads us to 2 championships, I'd bet the house that EDC would say, "Well, he's no Phil Jackson, and he's not even Greg Popovich." So, unless he wins, say, 9 championships, he'll find a reason to denigrate him as a coach. Heck, some people even say that Phil Jackson had little to nothing to do with the 9 'ships he's won. Unbelievable.
WTF?!?! A corny ass article written half a decade ago is making you guys wet yourself. Wow, Van Dummy helped a Knicks team beat Riley's team five years ago. He must be great! Way to aim high. Two years ago he got outcoached by a ROOKIE COACH! Last year he did not even get us to the playoffs. **** and Fire Van Stumpy!
the thing that sucks about a lot of jvg haters is that they don't have a passion for the rockets anymore, they have a passion for b****ing and repeating the same message over and over. edit: see post above. i get that van gundy can come off as an ass during the season but who cares? the players obviously don't, in fact, it seems like most stick right by him. personally i love his no bullsh!t attitude, the fact that he prepares and works as hard as his players, and i think he's a great interview. looking over his past three seasons and his career i see more reason to expect success then not.
yeah he got beat by a coach who took over a team that had won 50+ games 7 years in a row and that was 7 games better in the regular season? you think coaching is suppossed to cover up for a bowen padgett pf spot in that series? there payroll is 30 to 40 million more than the rockets? jvg took over a team that was in the lottery for 4 straight years. they showed improvement and then were terrible this year. now hes on the hot seat since his best players got hurt? comical
right here. Pretty sad when one needs to rely on five year old articles to pump up the ego of an NBA head coach that has yet to have any significant success. Didn't the Knicks end up losing that series to the Raptors 3-2? Didn't Mister ("always Mister") Van Gundy walk away from those same Knicks just about six months later? Let's "reimagine" that article for 2006. == Mister Van Gundy is 4-8 in first round playoff games with the Houston Rockets. In his last playoff appearance, he was beaten badly by the Mavericks, one step behind Avery Johnson when it mattered. Now Riley is basking with an NBA championship, and Mister Van Gundy is without a first round victory for a fourth straight year, with two ballclubs. The Rockets have little chance at the finals, won't get a chance to lose four straight to Riley's Heat, won't get a chance for Mister Van Gundy to be reminded that at his best, he is a poor imitation of his idol and mentor.
Mister Van Gundy took a 45-win team with a rookie Yao Ming and made them a 45-win team with a second-year Yao Ming. Improvement? I don't see it. Mister Van Gundy is on the hot seat because he was brought to Houston to "win and win now."
it's because thats their life. they don't hate JVG, they hate the image of JVG projected by their minds. they hate jvg because they hate themselves. it's like "hey heres my post, here it is again, my perception of JVG tortures my little mind, i must get it out, i must let it out, please someone, somebody, understand, agree, support my misery" It may have something to do with them not understanding what they see because what they percieve about JVG is a part of what they hate about their self or perhaps growing up as kids what they hated about their fathers.
Whether you hate JVG or love him it's all about results. He has failed to get us out of the first round of the playoffs. Some fans point to injuries and fluctuations in the roster, but all teams have injuries and JVG is responsible for a lot of the roster moves. This is his year in my opinion. The Rockets get off to a bad start and he could be fired much sooner than expected. He got a pass last year because Ming and T-mac were hurt, but I don't think injuries will save his job this year. It's time to see what a new head coach can do for the Rockets. The Knicks can use JVG after Zeke gets fired.
Thats your whole problem, "you think" I think this about JVG... I think this about JVG... Maybe it wasn't JVG who cut you off on the freeway. I'm just saying.
I think it's easier to point out weeds in your neighbor's garden that need to be pulled than to tend your own garden.
