The Golden State Warriors reportedly are interested in former coach Stan Van Gundy, who appears open to returning to the NBA, if TNT analyst Steve Kerr chooses to coach for the New York Knicks.
Kerr reportedly is the Warriors' top choice to replace Mark Jackson as head coach. But, with Kerr being a top contender for the Knicks' job, Golden State has a second choice: Van Gundy.
Yahoo Sports reported Golden State reached out to Van Gundy, who confirmed the team had been in touch with his representatives. He also didn't rule out the Golden State job, if offered.
"I have not met with them or anything else. There have been calls to gauge interest, and until you get a chance to actually talk to somebody, it's even hard to say if they're interested or if I would be [interested]," Van Gundy said Thursday on 740 AM's "Open Mike" show, via the Orlando Sentinel. "So we're not at that point of even sitting down and talking yet."
Van Gundy, who grew up in the Bay Area, acknowledged he would like to return to coaching if the right situation presented itself.
"Part of me does (want to coach again), part of me doesn't," he said. "Look, we're so happy in Central Florida. It would really have to be a great situation for me to get back in. I miss a lot of it. I really do. I miss the competition. I miss the challenge. I miss the camaraderie of it. But I also like the time that I've had, so we'll just have to see what happens. You weigh every situation."
As mentioned, Kerr is believed to be Golden State's first choice. Kerr is expected to speak with Golden State sometime this week, and ESPN reports the team believes they have a "legit shot" to hire him, given his past working relationship with Warriors president Rick Welts.
