Happy Birthday, Stan Van Gundy

by Evan Dunlap on Aug 26, 2009 8:00 AM EDT in Diversions

Today marks the 50th birthday of Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, arguably the best coach in the team's 20-year history. In the summer of 2007, Van Gundy took over a 40-42 outfit led by Brian Hill and immediately guided it to a 52-win season and a division championship (with a little help from free-agent signee Rashard Lewis). The team won 59 games in his second season, and then made a surprising (to people who weren't paying attention, anyway) run to the NBA Finals. Overall, the Van Gundy-coached Magic are 111-53 (.677) in the regular season and 18-16 (.529) in the postseason; those records are easily tops among coaches in franchise history.

And it's no coincidence that Hedo Turkoglu won the league's Most Improved Player award in his first season under Van Gundy, or that Jameer Nelson was one of its leading candidates before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in February. Dwight Howard, too, has taken great strides in improving his game, especially on the defensive end, which is Van Gundy's specialty.

So, happy 50th birthday, Stan. Many happy returns.

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We as fans have been given so much by you

Happy Freakin’ Birthday indeed.

by fwedo on Aug 26, 2009 10:21 AM EDT reply actions

Just Think...It Could Have Been Billy Donovan

Glad things worked out the way they did. I always thought the Billy Donovan selection was a PR move to rally support for the new arena. As a UF alum, I’m not mad at the signing of Donovan, but I’m glad things broke the way they did and he got his cold feet, or whatever. Most of my basketball friends think/thought Orlando is/was talented but too soft to contend. SVG is a big part of the team’s heart and identity. Don’t think we’d even be sniffing the Finals with Donovan. Happy Birthday, Stan!

by Hoop Dreams on Aug 26, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

After what Orlando accomplished this past season, the team definitely ain't soft.

.. and yeah, thanks to Billy Donovan for getting cold feet. I shudder to imagine what the Magic would have been like with him instead of Stan Van Gundy. For once, Orlando got some good luck and it paid off.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Aug 26, 2009 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

At 50 he is due for his colonoscopy

Get your screening colonoscopy SVG

by drjnieto on Aug 26, 2009 11:03 AM EDT reply actions

Not only Most Improved Player...

…but its no coincidence either that his team field two other all stars in addition to Dwight (who’s a given regardless of who’s his coach) in Jameer and Rashard. To add to that, if Hedo was a more marketable player you could and should chalk that number of non-Dwight all stars to 3.

Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.

by KingJafi on Aug 26, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

Eh, Hedo (at his best) was a fringe All-Star.

I guess you can make an argument for Turkoglu, though.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Aug 26, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Happy birthday Stan!!!

This list is endless,but what first comes to my mind is series vs Cavs.
We would never come out of those giant holes we dug out there w/o SVG.
Tremendous job,coach. Keep it up.

by Dzogi on Aug 26, 2009 11:13 AM EDT reply actions

just love the picture

Stan just seems so comfortable in his own skin and so unconcerned with what everyone else thinks of him.

btw, just remembered today that we traded two 2nd round picks (2007 & 2008) to Miami to acquire SVG. Cleveland’s Darnell Jackson and European project Stanko Barac whose rights are held by Indiana. So far, I think we did okay in that trade.

by magicfaninTN on Aug 26, 2009 2:05 PM EDT reply actions