The Knicks have been anchored all season by the stout defense of center Tyson Chandler. But, if not for some creative maneuvering by Glen Grunwald in December, Chandler never would have been an option for the Knicks.
Because of that, Chandler was quite happy to hear last night that Grunwald had the interim tag removed from his GM title, and was officially named the team’s executive vice president and general manager.
“He’s been very important,” Chandler said last night at the inaugural Allan Houston Legacy Foundation Charity Poker Tournament at the Grand Havana Room. “He was a big part or orchestrating the deal that brought me here, so I have a lot of respect for him.
“The Knicks weren’t even in the running when I entered free agency, so Glen closed the deal at the last minute … Jeremy Lin, a diamond in the rough that nobody saw, Steve Novak, getting J.R. Smith to come here instead of a lot of other options he had. He’s done a lot this year. There’s been a lot of positives.”
Chandler’s sentiments were echoed by Houston, who works under Grunwald as the team’s assistant general manager.
“Glen is so humble,” Houston said. “He never wants any credit, and he works his butt off. He’s a genuine, good guy. He’s a really good person to work for and learn from.”
Houston said he has learned a lot from Grunwald while working under him, including how to create a winning culture within the team.
“With this roster that was put together, we realized that was what we ultimately wanted, and that’s what New York deserved,” Houston said. “I think that’s the mindset of the guys right now.”
It is expected the decision by team owner James Dolan to remove Grunwald’s interim tag will help interim coach Mike Woodson — who played three years with Grunwald at Indiana and received a strong endorsement from Carmelo Anthony after yesterday’s practice — return to the Knicks’ bench next season.
From Chandler’s perspective, that could only be seen as a good move.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach [Woodson],” Chandler said. “He’s done an incredible job this year … I definitely feel like he deserves it. He’s done a great job. He holds guys accountable.”