Stan Van Gundy Details Why He And David Griffin Were Never On The Same Page

Former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy admitted that he and the franchise's management were incongruous when it came to their respective priorities. While Van Gundy was focused on "what went on on the court," president of basketball operations David Griffin fixated on "the atmosphere around the team and the happiness of people and things like that," per Van Gundy on The Dan Le Batard Show.

Van Gundy, 61, also noted that it would have been palatable if the Pelicans elected to dismiss him based on their subpar record of 31-41. "I've got no problem for that. That's what we sign up for in this business. Regardless of circumstances, that's what we sign up for in this business."

SVG told @LeBatardShow his priority was on-court results while Griff was more concerned with the "atmosphere around the team and the happiness of people." Full quote. pic.twitter.com/o6hwVSzW3W

— Christian Clark (@cclark3000) July 6, 2021

In hindsight, Van Gundy appears to have seen the writing on the wall early on during his one-year stint as Pelicans head coach. The differences in philosophies between him and Griffin made for a beleaguered relationship and one that ultimately trickled down to the rest of the team.

Reports have circulated that the initial hiring of Van Gundy was much to the chagrin of Zion Williamson. So much so, that the young phenom's family cites the Van Gundy ordeal as one of the preeminent reasons why they want Williamson traded from New Orleans. Despite the purported vitriol from Williamson's family, Van Gundy asserts that "Zion's no coach killer."

Van Gundy led the Pelicans to a record of 31-41 but failed to procure a spot in the Play-In Tournament. New Orleans is currently searching for their next head coach.

Photo Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports