Jeff Van Gundy, director of scouting of USA, attends team practice at the Mendenhall Center at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 3, 2023. /CFP
Jeff Van Gundy is making a return to the NBA, not as a broadcaster, but as part of the Boston Celtics. ESPN reported on Saturday that the Celtics have hired him as a senior consultant in their basketball operations group.
"Any time you get to add like high-character, high-level, professional people," the Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzula said. "I think it's a no-brainer and so fortunate enough that he's here, not just for the coaching staff, but for everybody."
Van Gundy, 61, left ESPN after working there for 16 years as part of the network's cost-cutting move in June. Prior to that, he served as a head coach for 11 seasons across two teams—the New York Knicks (1995-2002) and the Houston Rockets (2003-2007)—achieving a record of 430-318.
Van Gundy's teams made playoff appearances in nine out of the 11 seasons, boasting a 44-44 record. He led the Knicks to victory in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999, but they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum (R) and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics look on in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, May 25, 2023. /CFP
Having previously worked as an assistant coach for Team USA during the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China in 2019, Van Gundy is familiar with the Celtics' star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as both were part of that team. This experience should prove beneficial as he joins the new organization.
The Celtics will be under great pressure to make a difference in the 2023-24 season after giving up a lot of assets, including their locker room leader, a born Celtic, Marcus Smart, in trading for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Considering that the team reached the East Finals five teams in the past seven seasons and made the NBA Finals one year ago, the standard of difference will be very high.
The Celtics will begin their 2023-24 NBA regular season by visiting Madison Square Garden and playing the Knicks on October 25.