OKLAHOMA CITY — When Jeff Van Gundy coached the Knicks during the last lockout season in 1999, then-Garden president Dave Checketts secretly courted Phil Jackson even before the campaign was over.
Van Gundy, who will broadcast the NBA Finals on ABC, said he’s proud the Knicks didn’t do the same to Mike Woodson, who had his interim tag removed on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend. There was not even a phone call to Jackson.
“I thought the Mike Woodson hiring was the right move for that team,’’ Van Gundy said yesterday. “Obviously, Phil Jackson is the most successful coach in NBA history. I think [Woodson] is the right fit at the right time. The team’s performed exceptionally well and though it was a difficult matchup against the Heat in the first round and they got it handed to them in Game 1, I thought they played well [after] and acquitted themselves well. They still have problems, maneuverings to go where they want to go, but I thought they showed a good amount of growth over the last 24 games [under Woodson].’’
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Dwyane Wade said he will see time on Russell Westbrook, and called the Thunder point guard the best athlete in the NBA.
“Obviously we’ve got to have different guys guard him to give him a different look,” Wade said.
“I always say this is a very good team, but Westbrook makes them very special because there’s no one like him in the NBA. Personally, I think he’s the most athletic guy in the NBA for how he does it and how quick he does it We’re going to have our hands full and I’m going to have to guard him a lot.’’
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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wouldn’t reveal if Chris Bosh will return to the starting lineup after his bang-up sixth-man performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics.
Bosh has come off the bench in his first three games back from an abdominal strain.
LeBron James thought Bosh off the bench was a good look.
“We’ve had to reinvent ourselves and we think we’ve improved during that reinvention,’’ Spoelstra said.
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Kevin Durant on working out with James during the lockout: “He invited me to come out there and have a chance to work out with one of the top players. It’s something you’ve got to take advantage of.’’