As far as coach rivalries go, Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were all the rage in the ’90s. Van Gundy was promoted to head coach in 1996 — when Jackson was already deemed as one of the best coaches ever to be hired. But the young New York Knicks coach wasn’t scared of Jackson and his Chicago Bulls, ready to clap back when needed.
In a recent podcast appearance, Knicks insider Frank Isola shared an interesting anecdote about Van Gundy and Jackson, refreshing everyone’s memory about the iconic Knicks-Bulls rivalry.
Knicks Insider Shares Interesting Throwback Story Featuring Jeff Van Gundy and Phil Jackson
In conversation with Andrew Marchand, Isola turned back the clock as the discussion shifted to the 1996 Knicks and their new head coach, Van Gundy.
Isola ended up recalling the iconic March 10, 1996, matchup between the Knicks and the Bulls, where Van Gundy — only the HC for a few days — handed Michael Jordan’s 72-win team a blowout 104-72 loss.
The 32-point gap was unexpected, with Van Gundy beating the Bulls in Madison Square Garden to secure his first win as HC.
Isola revealed that the conversation back then was also focused on Jackson’s tenure in Chicago, with the media wondering if Jackson would consider moving over to the Knicks.
“Of course, Phil played right into it,” Marchand revealed.
But the newly crowned Knicks HD had different plans. Isola revealed that Van Gundy held a shootaround for the game, going from beating the worst team to beating Jackson and the Bulls.
“The next day, we flew to Dallas. The Knicks had practised, and Jeff met with us,” Isola revealed. “…When we were done, he said, ‘Turn off your recorder for a second. Let me ask you guys a question.’ He said, ‘Did you guys have a problem with Phil Jackson campaigning for the Knick job?'”
Isola said that since they didn’t know Van Gundy that well, they ended up blowing off the question. The Knicks HC, however, came back with a strong ‘I didn’t like it.’
“And he just proceeds to destroy him,” Isola revealed, adding that they even got permission to write about it in their article. “…Right then I said, this is going to be a good guy to cover. The guy was on the job for three days, he beat Michael Jordan, and now he’s ready to go to battle with Phil Jackson. I said, New Yorkers are going to like Jeff Van Gundy. He’s a fighter.”
With the Bulls being a dominant force in the league for years, it wasn’t easy for a young coach like Van Gundy to speak out, much less in a bold manner. His bold stance against Jackson further ignited Knicks fans, especially after repeatedly losing to the Bulls in the playoffs.
Of course, Van Gundy wasn’t able to transform the Knicks overnight. The Bulls continued their playoff dominance, beating the Knicks in the conference semifinals that very season.
Jackson would go on to win three more titles with the Bulls (1996–1998) before returning and winning five more with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000–2002, 2009, 2010).
With 11 championship wins to his name, Jackson remains the most successful coach in NBA history. Van Gundy stayed with the Knicks until 2001, eventually landing up as the Houston Rockets HC from 2003 to 2007. Currently, Gundy serves as the assistant coach for the LA Clippers.
