Jeff Van Gundy facts for kids
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Van Gundy with the Houston Rockets in 2006
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| [[Los Angeles Clippers|Los Angeles Clippers]] | ||||||||||||||
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| Lead assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | January 19, 1962 Hemet, California, U.S. |
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| High school | Brockport Central (Brockport, New York) |
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| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| Coaching career | 1985–2007, 2024–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 1985–1986 | McQuaid Jesuit HS | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Providence (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Rutgers (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1996 | New York Knicks (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2001 | New York Knicks | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Boston Celtics (senior consultant) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Los Angeles Clippers (lead assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
As coach:
As senior consultant:
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Jeffrey William Van Gundy (born January 19, 1962) is an American basketball coach. He also used to be a sports commentator. Currently, he is a top assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Van Gundy was once the head coach for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He led the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals in 1999. In 2024, Van Gundy won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics, where he worked as a senior consultant.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Van Gundy was born in Hemet, California. He lived in Martinez, California until 1977. His family then moved to Brockport, New York. Jeff played basketball at Brockport High School. He was a point guard and was chosen for the All Greater Rochester team twice.
Jeff's father, Bill Van Gundy, was also a basketball coach. His older brother, Stan Van Gundy, also became an NBA coach. Jeff went to Yale University before transferring to Menlo College. He later graduated from Nazareth University in 1985. At Nazareth, he helped his team reach the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1984. He is still the best at free throw percentage for Nazareth, making 86.8% of his shots.
Coaching Career Highlights
Starting as a Coach
Van Gundy began his coaching journey in 1985 at McQuaid Jesuit High School. The next year, he became an assistant coach at Providence College. He helped the Providence Friars reach the Final Four in 1987. After that, he was an assistant coach at Rutgers.
Time with the New York Knicks
In 1989, Van Gundy joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach. He worked with several head coaches for six and a half seasons. During this time, the Knicks won three division titles. They made the playoffs every year. In 1994, they even reached the NBA Finals.
In March 1996, Van Gundy became the Knicks' head coach. In his second game, his team beat the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls by 32 points. The Bulls had often beaten the Knicks in the playoffs. In his first full season, the Knicks had a great record of 57 wins and 25 losses.
A famous moment happened in the 1998 NBA Playoffs. During a fight between two players, Van Gundy tried to break it up. He ended up holding onto a player's leg on the floor.
In the 1998–99 season, the Knicks faced challenges with injuries. They finished as the eighth seed for the playoffs. However, they surprised everyone by beating the top-seeded Miami Heat. This made them only the second eighth seed to win against a number one seed. The Knicks then made an amazing run to the NBA Finals. They were the first eighth-seeded team in NBA history to reach the Finals. They lost the series to the San Antonio Spurs.
The next season, the Knicks won 50 games. They reached the Conference Finals but lost to the Indiana Pacers. In 2001, Van Gundy resigned as the Knicks' head coach. This was a surprise because the team was on a winning streak.
Leading the Houston Rockets
On June 10, 2003, Van Gundy became the head coach of the Houston Rockets. In his first year, the Rockets made the playoffs. They had a 45–37 record. The next season, with stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets won 51 games. This was their best record since 1997.
In 2005, Van Gundy was fined for saying that referees were unfair to Yao Ming. This was the largest fine ever given to an NBA coach. The Rockets faced many injuries in the following seasons. They missed the playoffs in 2006. After another first-round playoff loss in 2007, Van Gundy was no longer the Rockets' coach.
Coaching for Team USA
In July 2017, Van Gundy became the head coach for the U.S. national team. This was his first coaching job since leaving the Rockets in 2007. He led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. He also helped them qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Working in the Front Office
On October 14, 2023, Van Gundy joined the Boston Celtics as a senior consultant. This means he helped the team with basketball decisions. The Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals. This gave Van Gundy his first NBA Championship.
Joining the Los Angeles Clippers
In June 2024, the Los Angeles Clippers hired Van Gundy. He is now the lead assistant coach under head coach Tyronn Lue. This is his first NBA coaching role since 2007.
Broadcasting Career
After leaving the Houston Rockets in 2007, Van Gundy started working for ESPN. He became a regular basketball commentator. He often called games with Mike Breen and Mark Jackson. He covered the NBA Finals 15 times. In June 2023, Van Gundy left ESPN.
Personal Life
Jeff Van Gundy's older brother is Stan Van Gundy. Stan is also a well-known former NBA head coach. In 2011, Jeff Van Gundy received an honorary degree from his old school, Nazareth University.
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Van Gundy para niños
