Whether you are a Jeff Van Gundy fan or not, you have to admire him for not being afraid to tell it like it is. Van Gundy is one of the most opinionated figures in basketball and has never been afraid to trash the league that has allowed him to make a living. Jeff has even been willing to take shots at his brother, Stan, when he feels he deserves it. At times he can get creepily carried away, but people usually listen when Van Gundy sounds off.
During an appearance on KILT in Houston Thursday morning, Van Gundy laid out a few hard truths about the current labor situation in the NBA. Here’s what Jeff said about the NBA lockout, as passed along by Sports Radio Interviews via Deadspin.
“You know what I was thinking about today, and even yesterday, is how very few people care about the NBA lockout,” Van Gundy said. “You just don’t hear people talk. If it wasn’t on sports talk or ESPN… would anybody even know? You have to be careful if you’re both ownership and players—that you realize with the economy and so many other options with your disposable income—don’t think it will always stay like it has. It can go the other way.
“This is not football. Football has a stranglehold on America right now, NFL football, and rightfully so. It’s 16 games. If you’re a season-ticket holder it’s eight games, or 10 games with the preseason games, and it’s on the weekend.”
Van Gundy couldn’t be more spot-on with his assessment of the lockout. The NFL lockout was a constant topic of discussion because people would have been devastated if the NFL season was cancelled. If the NBA season is cancelled, the overall feeling will be one of mild disappointment. If the season is shortened to something like 50 games, people will probably rejoice. The NBA and NBA Players’ Association need the lockout to end more than the common fan. That wasn’t exactly the case with football.
