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Not all of us miss the point Chuck.
Interesting article:
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Commissioner could have more stern words for Jeff Van Gundy
BY FRANK ISOLA
New York Daily News
NEW YORK - (KRT) - Jeff Van Gundy's dispute with NBA commissioner David Stern is not his first, but it could be his last.
Stern is expected to meet with Van Gundy after the Houston Rockets' season concludes to determine whether Van Gundy should receive an additional penalty - incredibly, Stern isn't ruling out a lifetime ban - for claiming that an unnamed NBA referee informed him that the league would be "looking harder at Yao (Ming)" because of complaints to the league office from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
On Monday, Stern fined Van Gundy $100,000 - a record for a coach - after the coach refused to reveal the identity of the official. Van Gundy was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but people close to the Rockets coach said Van Gundy will continue to stand by his story even if it costs him his job.
"It's funny, reporters who use sources for their stories are saying that Jeff should either give up his source or they are writing that he made the whole thing up," said a person close to Van Gundy. "I know two things: He didn't make it up and he's not going to turn in anyone."
The same source believes Stern's feud with Van Gundy is "personal" and that it dates back to 1997 when Van Gundy coached the Knicks. Eight years ago, Stern summoned Van Gundy to his office and reprimanded him for comments he made after the Knicks' infamous brawl with the Miami Heat during their second-round playoff series.
The Knicks had criticized the league for suspending Patrick Ewing for leaving the bench area even though Ewing was standing 30 feet from the melee. The Knicks, who had a 3-1 series lead, lost to Miami in seven games. Several years later, David Robinson committed a similar sin during a playoff game but was not suspended.
Coincidentally, Van Gundy and Stern have been on the same side when it comes to accusations about league-wide conspiracies. After the Knicks eliminated the Pacers in the 1999 Eastern Conference finals, Reggie Miller said the league and its then television partner, NBC, wanted the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
In 2000, several Miami Heat players made similar comments after the Knicks won a grueling seven-game, second-round series. Former Heat point guard Tim Hardaway even went so far as to say, "no wonder they call Dick Bavetta, Knick Bavetta."
Van Gundy responded to Hardaway's criticism in 2000 by saying, "I think they are attacking the credibility of the league. In 1999 (the criticism of the officials) went without any repercussions. I don't know what the repercussions are going to be this year. I was just disappointed."
Van Gundy anticipated being fined for his most recent comments but was surprised by the severity of the fine, especially after Mavs coach Avery Johnson was fined just $10,000 for berating referee Joey Crawford after Dallas lost Game 1.
It is not uncommon for teams to lobby complaints to the league office about the way certain players are being officiated. Shaquille O'Neal is usually at the top of that list. Van Gundy was merely stating that the league, acting on Cuban's complaints, would be looking to Yao more closely when he sets screens. It was Van Gundy's contention that Cuban's constant bickering was being rewarded. He never said there was a conspiracy against Yao or the Rockets.
In fact, on the same day Van Gundy made his comments, Seattle coach Nate McMillan issued a similar warning after Kings coach Rick Adelman complained about the Sonics' physical play.
Stu Jackson, the NBA's VP of basketball operations, was not available to comment Tuesday regarding Van Gundy's case. Jackson is Van Gundy's neighbor in Westchester, N.Y., and was responsible for giving Van Gundy his first college coaching job at Providence and later hired Van Gundy as one of his assistants with the Knicks.
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© 2005, New York Daily News.
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