Jeff Van Gundy Quotes

I average 25 with three guys on me and they are just looking at stats I guess.

I've heard all the coaches complaining about the new CBA rules limiting padded practice. I don't like the reduction to just 15 padded practices during the season. When I coached, we always practiced in pads; and three days a week.

We played a lot of sandlot ball, so we were used to tackling each other, or falling on the concrete, things of that nature. And nine times out of 10, our flag games turned into tackle anyway. So when I got to high school, tackle football was kind of natural.

When I had people scratchin' my shorts a bit, it played better. We lost a bit of that in all the personnel changes and it's an element we need to get back.

We're gonna play fast, we're gonna play physical, we're gonna play furious, and we're gonna play contact football.

Teammates tell me to bring it down a notch in practice or that their hands are hurting. Randy Moss told me I was the first person to ever dislocate one of his fingers.

Charles Barkley taught me a lot when I played against him. How he would use his body or use his dribble to get people in there and all that stuff.

I loved playing football, but I hated the games because it's a lot of pressure. I just loved putting on the pads and hitting my friends.

Obviously, Ray Allen is a huge threat, Eddie House coming off the bench is a huge threat, as far as three-pointers go.

As a defender it can also be more frustrating to play in Italy because referees do not tolerate too much physical contact. I loved the physical nature of the game in England, but in Serie A I only have to look at a player and they sometimes fall to the floor!

I look at like this: Any player I guard, long twos or shots like that, if they make them I still think that's good defense. You can't make those shots at a high percentage the whole game. It's just hard to make long two-pointers, step-backs, fadeaways, off-the-dribble crossovers.

A man is not scared of playing, of having any contact, and you won't shut him down if you kick him - he will just ask for the ball all the time.

There are different types of cornerbacks: you've got your longer guys that will try to get physical with you and use their length, and you've got your quick guys that will try to use their quickness, and then you've got your 'tweener' guys that will try to use both.

If you give him a 3-point shot, you might as well count it. I'd rather have Steph Curry beat me 14 points and 14 assists than let him get 40. Because his 40 is just so loud. And it's because of those 3s.

I'm not a fan of analytics. When I was a kid, I couldn't tell you what percentage Allen Iverson shot, or Michael Jordan.

I've done it before, and I might do it whenever we need to as a big guy... I'll take it. A hard foul is part of the game, which is good.

In the NBA they've taken away so much of the hand-checking and the physicality of how guys are able to guard you. So if you touch me, I'm gonna throw the ball toward the rim and get shots.

I am physical, not aggressive. Well, aggressive with the ball, but I don't kick people.

I like aggressive football and for players to put pressure on the ball.

I like to bump people, to feel me getting into somebody's jersey. I'm just different. I like contact, like physical play, like pushing and holding. But I'm not dirty.

Whenever you're falling or getting tackled, try to protect yourself. But that's part of the game; that's part of football.

Tackling is my favorite part of the game.

In my day I think the toughest was Derek Harper. The old-school Derek Harper. He was tough. He had the most toughest, nastiest game ever. I hated playing against him because he would always try to rip you, and try to talk to you. People just didn't really know that about Derek Harper. I used to hate bringing the ball up against him, really.

I was a great help-side defender in college, but as far as really wanting to lock somebody up, that was never really my focus.

So with the skinnier guys, you definitely want to make sure you get a body on them; that's how you take away big guy's length, by getting into their bodies.