“At first, you can play into the naivete that people think you have because you don't dress well. They almost give you the benefit of the doubt. But when success comes, that's no longer a good angle, so now you're 'a political animal.'”

American basketball coach and former commentator

Jeffrey William Van Gundy is an American basketball coach and former commentator. He is the lead assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. Van Gundy previously coached the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets as a head coach in the NBA. With the Knicks, he guided the team to the 1999 NBA Finals, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. He later won an NBA championship in 2024 with the Boston Celtics as a senior consultant in the front office.