Not in that way. Not that anything would be wrong with that. But Van Gundy does have great respect for Riley.
The Orlando Sentinel (Mike Bianchi) reports: When I ask Stan Van Gundy why he has never spoken an ill word about Pat Riley or the Heat despite the mysterious way he resigned as coach in 2005, Van Gundy looks at me in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” Van Gundy says. “Why would I ever speak an ill word of Pat Riley? I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you today if it wasn’t for Pat Riley. My life, especially my professional life, is incredible because of what Pat Riley did for me. I was a fired college coach who was getting turned down for interviews at Division II schools. “Pat Riley rescued me from that and gave me a chance to come to the NBA. He then moved me up his staff and gave me a chance to be a head coach. There’s nothing I’ve learned in the NBA that I didn’t learn from Pat Riley or my brother [Jeff].”
