A Familiar Voice From Knicks History
Jeff Van Gundy still carries vivid memories from the Knicks’ last trip to the NBA Finals in 1999 — from the roar of Madison Square Garden to the emotional chants of his name that still echo in his mind decades later. Now 64, the former Knicks head coach and ESPN broadcaster reflects on a career deeply tied to New York basketball, where he once led a lockout-shortened team to the Finals and became a central figure in one of the franchise’s most memorable eras.
He recalls the atmosphere during that 1999 playoff run, when fans rallied behind him amid speculation that Phil Jackson might take over the job. In those final moments of a second-round sweep over the Atlanta Hawks, the crowd’s “Jeff Van Gun-dee” chant left a lasting impression — something he says symbolized a rare connection with New York fans.
“There’s Never Been A Knicks Team This Dominant”
Watching the current Knicks surge, Van Gundy believes this version of the team has reached a level the franchise has never seen before. Despite coaching the 1999 Finals team himself, he admits: "there's never been a Knicks team this dominant."
The Knicks’ recent playoff run highlighted by a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers and an 11-game winning streak has convinced him they are now the clear favorites. He pointed to their dominance on both ends of the floor, including blowout road wins, as evidence of their overwhelming form.
He added that attempts to downplay their run are unfair, stressing that their level of control in games speaks for itself. “To win that many in a row in dominant fashion, to me, the Knicks are the favorite now to win it all,” Van Gundy said. “They are playing that good, they’re healthy and everything is going great for them.”
Memories of 1999 and the Road to the Finals
Van Gundy also revisits the emotional 1999 playoff journey, one that saw the Knicks become the first No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals. That run included Allan Houston’s game-winner against Miami and a dramatic Eastern Conference Finals win over the Indiana Pacers, sealed by Houston’s 32-point performance in Game 6.
He remembers stepping onto the court after clinching the series, celebrating with assistant Rick Brunson — whose young son Jalen Brunson was present in the arena that night. For Van Gundy, it remains one of the defining moments of his coaching career.
The Knicks ultimately fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, a series he believes would have gone differently only if Patrick Ewing had been healthy, though he still feels the Spurs were the superior team overall.
Reflections on Near-Misses and Legacy
Beyond 1999, Van Gundy’s Knicks tenure was marked by repeated heartbreaks — from the 1993 and 1994 Finals runs under Pat Riley’s system, to the suspended 1997 playoff collapse, and the blown lead against Indiana in 2000. Each season brought the team close, but never all the way.
He also reflects on his later career path, including his time as a broadcaster and assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, as well as his coaching philosophy and close ties with former colleagues like Tom Thibodeau.
Despite being linked to coaching opportunities in recent years, Van Gundy remains emotionally tied to New York — a place he says never treated him as anything other than “a common man trying to do his job.”
A Legacy Still Connected to the Present
Van Gundy ends his reflections by acknowledging how meaningful it is to see former Knicks players reunited in the stands today — names like Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, John Starks, and Kurt Thomas. “When I see the Knicks now, I don’t think about the games in the ’90s as much as I do the people who made it possible,” he said.
For him, the memories, the players, and the fans remain inseparable from the franchise’s identity — even as a new era of Knicks basketball now unfolds with unprecedented dominance.
