Jeff Van Gundy ruined Vassilis Spanoulis' career.

[3LiftHeatCurse]

Yes, I know this is usually Euroleague's "schtick", he always posts about euro basketball.

But I was looking into this topic. There might be something to it.

First off, Jeff Van Gundy was on record saying that "young players are dangerous for coaches in a contract year"...... so Spanoulis was NEVER given a shot by JVG, simply based on the fact he was a rookie.

Secondly, Spanoulis was given little to no role on the team, and very little playing time with the Rockets due to JVG. And when Spanoulis actually saw the court, JVG did not let him do much.

Look at this footage of Spanoulis when he was on the Rockets for that only year he was in the NBA :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JqiaYG-TVk



Then.... here we have T-Mac in a recent interview actually acknowledging the fact that Spanoulis had talent and was never given a real shot because of Jeff Van Gundy.

T-Mac Interview on Spanoulis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UujXKTWGodU


You see, Pat Riley is the same way. He never liked young players. As a long time Heat fan, I know that Riley liked experienced vets more than anything, no matter how old they are. And Jeff Van Gundy is a Pat Riley disciple, so he thinks the same way.


Perhaps, Vassilis Spanoulis could have been a legit NBA starter if he stayed in the NBA and waited for Jeff van Gundy to get fired or quit.

[Smook A.]

Who cares. And besides, Va[COLOR="Black"]s[/COLOR]silis Shitoulis has always been a scrub. When he was given a chance to play in garbage time, he didn't do crap. Its his fault, not JVG.

[3LiftHeatCurse]

Who cares. And besides, Va[COLOR="Black"]s[/COLOR]silis Shitoulis has always been a scrub. When he was given a chance to play in garbage time, he didn't do crap. Its his fault, not JVG.

look at this though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JqiaYG-TVk

[outbreak]

If he had gone to a different situation I believe he would have fit in far better and had a solid NBA career but you can't blame a coach like that. V-span had numerous opportunities to prove his talent but he chose to sulk and argue with the coaching staff instead. From what I have heard he went into it expecting big minutes (rightly or wrongly) and was upset when he didn't get the role he was used to in Europe. If he had of stuck with it and had a positive attitude he could of worked through it and risen to a role that suited him more but he didn't do that. He was put in a situation where he had to prove himself and he chose not to.

[GeeWiz]

Plenty of rookies in the league have to wait and use what little time they have to show what they are made of to gain more playing time, its EARNT not given, I don't see how it should be any different for this guy.

[Euroleague]

If he had gone to a different situation I believe he would have fit in far better and had a solid NBA career but you can't blame a coach like that. V-span had numerous opportunities to prove his talent but he chose to sulk and argue with the coaching staff instead. From what I have heard he went into it expecting big minutes (rightly or wrongly) and was upset when he didn't get the role he was used to in Europe. If he had of stuck with it and had a positive attitude he could of worked through it and risen to a role that suited him more but he didn't do that. He was put in a situation where he had to prove himself and he chose not to.

FALSE.

Van Gundy told him he was never going to play him because he was making a point to the Rockets management never to go against his wishes in player selections.

Van Gundy wanted Mike James. The Rockets wanted Spanoulis instead. So Van Gundy told Spanoulis he was never going to play him to make a point to the Rockets management to show them who was in charge.

So none of what you are saying is true. It's just imaginary bullshit.

[outbreak]

FALSE.

Van Gundy told him he was never going to play him because he was making a point to the Rockets management never to go against his wishes in player selections.

Van Gundy wanted Mike James. The Rockets wanted Spanoulis instead. So Van Gundy told Spanoulis he was never going to play him to make a point to the Rockets management to show them who was in charge.

So none of what you are saying is true. It's just imaginary bullshit.

It must have been amazing for you to be within earshot to hear all these private conversations you claim took place, did you work closely with the rockets organization at that point? How'd you get access to their front office?

Every time he stepped on to the court he looked like shit and looked like he didn't want to be there.Why would JVG give him more minutes when he was playing like that? There were reports at the time that he was arguing with the coaching staff and not participating in practice. Actual stories by actual writers that were actually published in the real world.

I agree with you that he is talented and he could be a legit player in the NBA but I don't agree with the other bullshit you spout defending him with conspiracy theories.

[3LiftHeatCurse]

FALSE.

Van Gundy told him he was never going to play him because he was making a point to the Rockets management never to go against his wishes in player selections.

Van Gundy wanted Mike James. The Rockets wanted Spanoulis instead. So Van Gundy told Spanoulis he was never going to play him to make a point to the Rockets management to show them who was in charge.

So none of what you are saying is true. It's just imaginary bullshit.

Yes. Tracy McGrady confirms this and says Spanoulis was never given a chance because of Jeff van gundy.

Here is the interview, go to 0:30 mark in the video :

McGrady says "He didn't really get the opportunity to play. He was in Jeff Van Gundy's dog house, but the guy had talent, he was a very good player"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UujXKTWGodU

[3LiftHeatCurse]

It must have been amazing for you to be within earshot to hear all these private conversations you claim took place, did you work closely with the rockets organization at that point? How'd you get access to their front office?

Every time he stepped on to the court he looked like shit and looked like he didn't want to be there.Why would JVG give him more minutes when he was playing like that? There were reports at the time that he was arguing with the coaching staff and not participating in practice. Actual stories by actual writers that were actually published in the real world.

I agree with you that he is talented and he could be a legit player in the NBA but I don't agree with the other bullshit you spout defending him with conspiracy theories.

How can you say he looked like shit?

This is footage from his Rockets days. He looks good here. And remember, this is him playing for JVG, who clearly does not want to help him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JqiaYG-TVk

[Euroleague]

It must have been amazing for you to be within earshot to hear all these private conversations you claim took place, did you work closely with the rockets organization at that point? How'd you get access to their front office?

Every time he stepped on to the court he looked like shit and looked like he didn't want to be there.Why would JVG give him more minutes when he was playing like that? There were reports at the time that he was arguing with the coaching staff and not participating in practice. Actual stories by actual writers that were actually published in the real world.

I agree with you that he is talented and he could be a legit player in the NBA but I don't agree with the other bullshit you spout defending him with conspiracy theories.

You are the one who is full of shit. And whenever this comes up, you start posting this nonsense immediately. For all I know you are JVG himself.

Everything you post is BS.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe there is reason why Van Gundy was immediately fired after that season and has never been hired by an NBA team since?

Let's see here......

1. Rockets fire Van Gundy.

2. Rockets ask Spanoulis to stay

3. Rockets hire Adelman.

4. Adelman asks Spanoulis to stay.

5. Spanoulis is so pissed off at the lies the Rockets told him, he leaves to Greece.

6. Rockets trade Spanoulis to Spurs.

7. Popovich and Parker ask Spanoulis to stay with the Spurs.

8. Spanoulis says he wants to stay in Greece, because he was so mad at how the Rockets treated him.

9. Since then, every year, numerous NBA teams and Euroleague teams offer Spanoulis big contracts.

10. Since then, Van Gundy has never coached in the NBA again, and actually, according to all accounts, never actually has even been offered a contract by an NBA team. Just the occasional rumor that an NBA team is, "interested in him" (probably started by his agent)........


And you, with your great powers of deduction, come up with that to mean that Van Gundy is the one that acted right in benching Spanoulis, and Spanoulis is the one that acted wrong in being pissed about it.

In being pissed about being benched behind Luther Head, who subsequently has been cut from D-League teams, cut from the worst team in the Spanish League, and cut from the worst team in the Greek League....

Pissed about being benched behind John Lucas III, who subsequently has been cut from mid level and low level teams in the Italian League, even a team in the 2nd Division in Italy....

All the while when Spanoulis was THE BEST PLAYER IN ALL OF EUROPE....

Yeah, why the hell would Spanoulis be pissed about being benched behind guys like that? Freaking Luther Head was cut by the WORST team in the Spanish League and the WORST team in the Greek League. Lucas III was cut by a team in the 2nd Division of Italy, like Italy's D-League, and Spanoulis is the best player in Europe, and he should not be pissed about Van Gundy benching him for guys like that?

Oh yeah, but the fact that year after year, NBA and Euroleague teams offer Spanoulis big contracts, and Van Gundy has never coached since his ass got fired right after he benched Spanoulis tells you nothing?

The fact that Adelman said he looked at game tape after the Rockets hired him and was baffled as to why Spanoulis was not starting tells you nothing? That Popovich wrote a letter and had Parker hand deliver it to Spanoulis in Athens, asking Spanoulis to come to the Spurs tells you nothing?

No? So JVG knows better than Adelman and Popovich, and you know better than them too then?

[dgaras]

euroleague youre so full of shit. youre the reason everyone here hates spanoulis. all us can admit that he was a really good player and could have averaged at least 15ppg if given the opportunity but we hate him because we hate you. you are the reason nobody takes spanoulis seriously here. you destroyed his legacy by yourself

that is the funniest thing ive ever realized. a poster destroyed a players career on a forum by himself. it only took 10 years of constant posting

[gts]

euroleague youre so full of shit. youre the reason everyone here hates spanoulis. all us can admit that he was a really good player and could have averaged at least 15ppg if given the opportunity but we hate him because we hate you. you are the reason nobody takes spanoulis seriously here. you destroyed his legacy by yourself

that is the funniest thing ive ever realized. a poster destroyed a players career on a forum by himself. it only took 10 years of constant posting

You come off as a very weak minded person..

[jzek]

That Memphis coach also ruined JC Navarro's NBA career.

[dgaras]

You come off as a very weak minded person..

you come off as a loser as i know you dating to when you first joined. youre immature. are you past 50 yet? i forgot.

hows that daughter of yours doing?

[KungFuJoe]

I think I could beat spanoulis one on one. Was the video footage of him slowed down on purpose or just bad transfer from Betamax?