http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/sports/basketball/05jeff.html Wizards Join the Rockets in Talking to Van Gundy By CHRIS BROUSSARD Jeff Van Gundy, the former coach of the Knicks, met yesterday (Thursday) with executives of the Washington Wizards to discuss their vacant head coaching position, according to two Eastern Conference officials. The Knicks, who hold the contractual rights to Van Gundy until July 31, gave the Wizards permission to speak with Van Gundy yesterday morning. Van Gundy is also scheduled to meet today (Friday) with Carroll Dawson, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, and to tour Houston and the Rockets' new arena. A Rockets spokesman, Nelson Luis, confirmed the plans for today, which were first reported yesterday by The Houston Chronicle. Van Gundy has already met once with Rockets officials. Leslie Alexander, Houston's owner, is not scheduled to meet with Van Gundy today, according to Luis. If Houston is considering making Van Gundy an offer, Alexander's absence could delay the team's plans. "Jeff Van Gundy's planning on going around and seeing the city and the new arena at C. D.'s invitation," Luis said, referring to Dawson. Van Gundy is one of four coaches whom the Rockets have interviewed. Larry Brown and Paul Silas took jobs in Detroit and Cleveland, leaving Van Gundy and Mike Dunleavy as the front-runners in Houston. Dunleavy, who met with the Rockets on the same day as Van Gundy, May 26, does not have another meeting scheduled with Houston, according to Luis. Dawson has said that he would not extend his search to include Rick Carlisle, who was fired last week by Detroit. Houston might be the optimum job for Van Gundy, who also interviewed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 center, and Steve Francis, the All-Star guard, the Rockets could develop into a playoff team as soon as next season. Many league officials believe that is crucial to Van Gundy, who deeply internalizes losing. Van Gundy did not return a telephone message yesterday. For that reason, some executives speculated that Van Gundy met with Washington yesterday simply to gain leverage with Houston. The Wizards are talented and young, but they appear to be far from competing for the Eastern Conference title. If Washington cannot lure in Van Gundy as its coach, it would consider Lenny Wilkens, who was recently fired by Toronto, and Eddie Jordan, the Nets' assistant who is also a candidate for Philadelphia's coaching job, according to an official with knowledge of the Wizards' thinking. Washington, which fired Michael Jordan as the team's president last month, is also looking for a general manager. The Wizards' top choice was Ernie Grunfeld, the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, but, according to two Eastern Conference officials, the Bucks denied Washington permission to speak with Grunfeld. Grunfeld, the former Knicks general manager, has one year remaining on his contract. Portland was also denied permission to speak with Grunfeld, the Eastern Conference officials said, and Grunfeld was upset by Milwaukee's denials, believing that the team should either extend his contract or allow him to speak with Washington and Portland. With Grunfeld out of the picture, at least for now, the Wizards are looking at David Kahn and Len Elmore. Kahn was the Indiana Pacers' general manager for four years before voluntarily reducing his role to special adviser to the team's president, Donnie Walsh, last October. Elmore, a lawyer, broadcaster and former player, was interested in the Nets' general manager's job before Rod Thorn was hired three years ago.
Good!!! We will lose JVG. It looks that CD and Les are totally layed back. Just take your time, no hurry. WTF.
Houston is a vastly better job than Washington. That would pretty much be why he agreed to talk with them. No way do you take the Wizards over the Rockets unless you're afraid to coach in the West, and even then....
Yesterday was not Thursday. Today is not Friday. When is this article from? Last week? Or are those typos?
What if Van Gundy decides not to come to Houston for whatever reason and Mike D feels insulted by not wanting to play second fiddle and also turns down the Rockets when we come crawling back. Who then? If this scenario happened, it would be sad but kind of funny in a way too.
If JVG hates losing...then no way in HADES he goes to Washington Wizards. THEY SUCK! Their management is horrible too! This better not be about MONEY. Jeff...I thought you were cheap! I thought you wanted to win! And please.....D.C. is a nicer place to live than Houston. That would be sad. PLEASE NO MIKE DUNLEAVY. I'd rather have CALVIN MURPHY than Mike Dunleavy!
Someon please tell me why the Bullets are still an NBA franchise? No self-respecting coach would even consider coaching that team.
and instead of thinkin about it negatively, try to give JVG a chance and he might be the coach we really do need. let's give a guy a chance and let's not jump the trigger.
I think money will be a huge factor. One of the rumors as to why we didn't get Larry Brown was money. One of the rumors as to why Van Gundy didn't join Cleveland was over money. It's just speculation, but I could see money being a major issue.
The online article came out late Thursday night. Technically it was for their Friday edition newspaper. Any more questions?
I would be very pissed if we offered Van Gundy anything near 5M per season. That's what Larry Brown took, and I refuse to believe that, with the same offer on the table, Larry chose Detroit over Houston.
I heard it here that there are big bonuses/ incentives in LB's contract that could up the deal to the 7-8 mil range. Incentives that are easily achieved in the East.
