1999 New York Knicks - Jeff Van Gundy Playbook

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1999 New York Knicks - Jeff Van Gundy Playbook by Jordan Ingram

In 1999, Jeff Van Gundy was entering his fourth year as the Head Coach of the New York Knicks. He was tasked
with the challenge of managing an aging Patrick Ewing and managing the playing time of various new offseason
additions (Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas). In an NBA Lockout shortened season, there wasn’t
much time to ingratiate them into a group that also included Larry Johnson transitioning to the Small Forward spot
and shooting guard Allan Houston. The offseason acquisitions gave the team more depth, but the results weren’t
readily apparent as the Knicks finished the regular season with a 27-23 record and an eighth-seed in the Eastern
Conference heading into the NBA Playoffs.

Heading into the playoffs, the Knicks were the underdogs heading into a first round series against the top-seeded
Miami Heat. After upsetting the Heat in five games after a career-defining late jumper by Houston in Game Five, the
Knicks embarked on an unlikely journey. After sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the second round and defeating the
Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks became the team with the worst record in league
history to make the NBA Finals.

The Knicks, minus Ewing (lost to injury after Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals) were able to defeat the
San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the Finals but lost the last four. Though they lost the NBA Championship, the
Knicks legacy was cemented in the record books.