INDIANAPOLIS – Another day, another rumor.
There were electronic media reports yesterday that the Knicks have come to an agreement with Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy is already out as coach and Van Gundy’s agent Rob Ades has started talks with several teams with coaching vacancies, notably Orlando.
All of this was flatly rejected by Garden officials, who once again said they would not “dignify” such a report with a response.
A day earlier, a published report had Garden guru Dave Checketts meeting at a midtown hotel with Jackson on Wednesday night, less than 48 hours after Checketts said he would not talk to Jackson until the season ended and he had the chance to sit down and visit with Van Gundy.
And so it goes. Van Gundy was extremely light-hearted again at Purchase, acting as if the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders. He seems like a man who knows he’ll be coaching somewhere next season in the NBA, whether it’s the Knicks, Magic, Nets, Grizzlies or Wizards.
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In what could prove to be a serious problem for the Knicks, Van Gundy revealed that Marcus Camby sprained his ankle in Friday’s practice. Camby already is hampered by a sore back, but insists he’ll be fine.
“He sprained his ankle yesterday, so two steps forward, one step back,” Van Gundy said.
The rest has helped Chris Childs get over his thigh injury and has helped Patrick Ewing.