Jeff Van Gundy Says Doc Rivers Didn’t Quit On Celtics


Jeff Van Gundy defended Doc Rivers’ decision to leave the Celtics and cited his own experience in New York as an example of what quitting truly means. Via Newsday: “Van Gundy defended Rivers, saying what he did 12 1/2 years ago was worse. ‘I quit the Knicks, so I know what quitting is,’ he said. ‘I did it. I quit. And it’s something I regret to this day…I live with it every day and I regret it. I let my emotions come into it. I was just emotionally spent. I made a bad decision and I quit. Doc Rivers didn’t quit. He was allowed to pursue a better opportunity for himself. That’s a significant, significant difference that everybody’s glossing over.’ Van Gundy was with the Knicks from 1989-2001 as an assistant and head coach. He compiled a 248-72 record in parts of seven seasons as head coach but walked away after they started 10-9 in 2001. ‘I had a great job with the Knicks,’ he said. ‘I let…frustration overwhelm me…The frustrations were real, but it was certainly an overreaction. Like I said, I’m the only one to blame for that because I had a great, great job and I left it voluntarily.'”