“When ‘Sports Illustrated’ came out with their 50 most fashionable people in sport, that fact that I wasn’t on that list is a travesty.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“People with advantages don’t tend to want to give them up. If you see it as a zero-sum game, then it will never change. If only the people who are disadvantaged speak out, then it’s not enough. I don’t want to overshadow their voices, but I want to support.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“It’s hard to be successful over the long term if you’re not unified and there’s not that synergy between coach and front office.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“If I ever feel a sense of anxiety, it’s usually over things that I have some control over, or I’m anxious about me making the right decision.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“My dad has coached a long time, so there aren’t too many conversations in my family that haven’t centered around basketball.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I am more off-the-cuff and wear my emotions on my sleeve more than I should.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Exacerbating the problem of mass incarceration is that, even after someone is released from prison, the stigma of a misdemeanor or felony conviction makes finding gainful employment difficult, if not impossible.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Holding people presumed to be innocent in jail pre-trial simply because they cannot afford to pay their bail extracts huge human and financial costs.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Our founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain because they were dissatisfied with the laws and policies that they believed abridged their freedoms. Had they taken the stance that many want our professional athletes to take – to just shut up and honor your country no matter what – we would be living in British colonies.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“People should never be permitted to feel comfortable while trampling the rights of others.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Rondo’s a great player, and most teams look at it that anytime you have a chance to get a great player, you do it.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I really think the people I run into in the NBA, whether it’s the front office side or in coaching, everybody wants to work in an atmosphere where everybody’s pulling in the same direction.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of great people, high-character guys, and I don’t think I’ve ever coached a better professional than Joel Anthony.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“LeBron is LeBron. They’re not going to call offensive fouls on him. He gets to do what he wants.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Sometimes expanding your game isn’t better. Sometimes shrinking your game is a little bit better and really get to the things you do well.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Josh Smith, put in the right spots, is an outstanding player. You put Josh down on the right block, in the low post or even on a short isolation – 12 feet, 15 feet from the basket – he can get to the rim. He’s outstanding. He’s not only a very willing passer but an outstanding passer. I think it’s the best part of Josh’s game.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve always believed that. I’m not a guy who comes in with an offensive system, and we try to fit guys to it. I think it goes the other way. ‘Here’s who we’ve got. Let’s put them in the right spots where they can be productive.’”
― Stan Van Gundy
“If I’m going to be grinding, then I want to coach. If I’m not going to be coaching, I want to be semi-retired, at least.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Christmas to me, obviously, basketball is very important to me, but there are some days of the year where it’s got to take a back seat to something.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The league has been good to all of us in terms of what we get out of all these TV contracts and everything, so it would be a little disingenuous to complain too much. But if I had my way, we’d take a five-day break at Christmas. I mean it.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“We’ve changed a lot of things to help certain groups of people. We widened the lane from 6 feet to 12 feet to 16 feet to make it so the big guys aren’t as dominant. Well, why didn’t we just say, ‘You’ve got to learn to play against them in the post?’”
― Stan Van Gundy
“We took the handcheck out of the game to give guys like Steph Curry more freedom. Why didn’t we say, ‘Just get in the weight room and get stronger?’”
― Stan Van Gundy
“In this business, if you lose, you’re gonna get fired. Now, if you win, you still may get fired. That’s the hard part. You see guys having success and getting fired. That’s really tough to watch.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Our country was founded on protest. Otherwise, we would still be a colony of England.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I certainly would not call myself creative. There are other coaches who are innovative and everything else. I wouldn’t be that guy, that’s for sure.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Every coach in every sport, one of their larger concerns is the balance between work and rest. We all think about it all the time.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Coaches are going to adapt to whatever the rules are. The rules certainly change strategy.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The criticism from the media never really bothered me. I’d correct it when I can, but that’s their job. If stuff wasn’t personal, then it really didn’t bother me.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve argued for a long time here… that I think that one of the things that is absolutely killing parity is the individual maximum salary.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The NCAA is one of the worst organizations – maybe the worst organization – in sports. They certainly don’t care about the athlete.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“After every loss, you want to trade everybody. I’ve felt that way several times.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Shaq’s a very sensitive guy.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’m pretty sure that every player who’s ever played for me doesn’t hate me. Now, we’d have to do a survey, but I’ve coached a lot of guys, and I’m pretty sure there’s one or two that don’t hate me. I don’t know that any liked me. But I’m pretty sure there’s one or two who don’t hate me.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“It’s what you do on the court. Talking’s easy.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve been around a lot of great coaches in college and the NBA, and I knew Erik Spoelstra three months, and I told my wife, father, and brother that this guy is going to be a helluva coach.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“My dad coached 41 years, and I was always around coaches.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve spent my entire life around coaches.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’m sort of a negative guy.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Tyrone Corbin is a class act.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“One of the things I’ve said to teams and players from time to time – especially when things are going well like we had them going in Orlando – is that you better appreciate it and enjoy it because things change quickly in this game. You know, it’s tough for guys to really think it will change on them, but it does.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“There are a lot of good coaches in this league, and there are a lot of good coaches out there.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’m sick of people who supported Trump saying, ‘Get over it. You lost.’ That’s not how America works. We get to critique him the same way they constantly fought Obama. As long as I have a platform, I will continue to speak up because it’s my responsibility.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I was raised in a home where we grew up where we discussed issues. I’ve always been really politically aware. My wife and four kids are very aware. They make me more attuned to a lot of things I would not think about. Especially women’s issues.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“When you have privilege, you have to been quiet and listen.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“There are serious issues of inequality and injustice in this country… I stand with those opposing such bigotry.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I take my job really, really seriously. I also take being a citizen very seriously.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Obviously, race is the elephant in the room, and we all understand that. Unless it is talked about constantly, it’s not going to get better… people have to be made to feel uncomfortable, and especially white people, because we’re comfortable. We still have no clue what being born white means.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Athletes have the same rights everybody else does. If there is a strength in our democracy, it’s that we are encouraged to exercise those rights and speak out and hold people in power in check.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Our country was founded on protest. If it was just shut up and honor your country no matter what, we’d still be flying the Union Jack. That’s not what our founding fathers did. They didn’t like what was going on, and they broke away and formed their own country.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I do not claim to be an expert on race in America.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I have been in a unique position to hear from players and staff members about the issues they and their families have had to encounter.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I think we disregard fans too much. They drive our sport. The money has gotten so big that it has become a corporate league other than the nosebleed seats.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Selling advertising on jerseys is preferable to keep jacking up prices on the fans.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“As NBA coach, people get on you. But politics, maybe even more so at the local level, is nasty on a very personal level. I have a thick skin, but I don’t want to deal with it.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I don’t think anyone could be the next Dick Vitale. I mean that in a good way. More than an announcer, Dick is an ambassador for the game. Dick is in class by himself. Like what he does or not, what he has done to expand the popularity of college basketball is phenomenal.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I think, look, you have to be aware of the language, and you have to be aware a little bit of your own biases if you’re going to overcome them.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The hardest thing to do in this league is to get a proven star. It’s just very hard to do. It’s hard to do in free agency; it’s hard to do in trades. You get very few opportunities to do it.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I meant what I said about how electing Donald Trump will set our country back. I stand by that. However, I do wish that I wouldn’t have made the blanket statement about not respecting anybody who voted for Trump.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I make an excellent salary and work a great job. A lot of the people who voted for Trump don’t. Let’s say you say you’re out of a job and believe this guy is going to get you on back on your feet. You might overlook some stuff not because you believe it. But you’re that desperate. They’re wrong. But it’s what they believe.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The best people make mistakes.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I think it inhibits a guy’s development when he’s simply handed minutes and doesn’t have to do anything to earn them, and thus, there’s no reason to work harder or change the way you play.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I think one of the most important things for a young player’s development is that they understand that they will play when they deserve the right to play.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I don’t think I’m any different than most coaches, honestly. Maybe Steve Kerr. The guy never loses.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“My dad was a basketball coach, and so I went to his games. But baseball was the sport I could enjoy with him, whereas with basketball, I wasn’t with him.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I couldn’t throw, run, hit, or hit for power.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Being twins goes way beyond my relationship with my brother. That’s a lot deeper bond.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“The biggest thing I learned at Wisconsin was, it’s all who you work for, not where you work or what level.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“At Wisconsin, I wasn’t working for people who believed in me.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I enjoy the challenge of being a head coach.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Larry Brown had quite a resume.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’ve been very, very fortunate. I don’t need to work another day in my life. I have all the security I need.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Sometimes standing up for things that are right makes things tougher.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I’d get rid of it, just get rid of the draft altogether. We’d just deal with the salary cap.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“There’s no such thing as a longtime Magic coach.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Everybody tries to take a tragedy and turn it to their own political purposes, and it’s both sides.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Tom Gores has been involved in the City of Detroit, not just the surrounding area.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I support most charitable organizations.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“People of conscience are compelled to oppose racism, sexism, and intolerance of people with different sexual identities and orientation wherever and whenever they see it.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I applaud the professional athletes using their platform to voice their opinions.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“Peaceful protest is a hallmark of our democracy. It has been in impetus for social change throughout our history.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“While people can differ on the issues, no one should seek to discourage freedom of speech.”
― Stan Van Gundy
“I love Greg Monroe.”
― Stan Van Gundy
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