Stan Van Gundy said he knows his franchise player, Dwight Howard, has asked that he be fired as coach of the Orlando Magic, and get this: Van Gundy claimed his sources are better than any reporter's."I was told it was true by people in our management," Van Gundy said Thursday, just hours before the Magic lost to the New York Knicks 96-80. "So right from the top."
In what had to be one of the most bizarre game-day scenes in NBA history, Van Gundy confirmed a WKMG-TV report that Howard is pushing for his ouster, and did so right before the center walked through a circle of news media members and embraced his coach.
"They haven't told me anything," Van Gundy said of Orlando management, "and they don't need to. I'm the coach right now, and I'm the coach until they decide I'm not the coach. It's 12:02 right now. If they want to fire me at 12:05, I'll go home and find something to do. I'll have a good day."
Clearly unaware of the stunning claim Van Gundy had made, Howard suddenly appeared at his side and put his right arm around the coach.
"Stan, we're not worried about that, right?" Howard asked.
"That's what I just said," Van Gundy responded. "We've got to be worried about winning games."
Howard and Van Gundy exchanged a little small talk about the Knicks game before the coach asked reporters: "Are you guys done with me? You talk to him now."
I'm the coach right now, and I'm the coach until they decide I'm not the coach. It's 12:02 right now. If they want to fire me at 12:05, I'll go home and find something to do. I'll have a good day.
-- Stan Van Gundy
Whatever happens at the end of the season is not under my control. I am a player for the Magic. I am not the GM. I am not Rich DeVos. I am not [president] Alex Martins. That is not my job. ... I haven't said anything to anybody about anything.
-- Dwight Howard
Aww, what I really wanted was Dwight to not be with the Magic anymore. They're basically a dead team now, just like the Cavs are without Lebron.
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