'Stan Spittin': Kevin Durant Praises Magic Ex Coach... But Van Gundy Didn't Realize It

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant agreed with a tweet former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy sent out. But SVG didn't see it that way.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 20, 2023

'Stan Spittin': Kevin Durant Praises Magic Ex Coach... But Van Gundy Didn't Realize It /

Stan Van Gundy is enjoying a successful analyst career after his coaching days, which were highlighted by his run leading the Orlando Magic from 2007-12.

Van Gundy is widely respected in NBA circles, having also coached for the Detroit Pistons (2014-18) and New Orleans Pelicans (2020-21) before heading over to TV.

Being a television analyst, Van Gundy is still outspoken on how today's game is and the differences between now and then.

"90’s NBA teams had just a trainer and a strength coach, they practiced more often and harder and played more back to backs," Van Gundy tweeted. "Teams now have huge medical & “performance” staffs and value rest over practice. Yet injuries and games missed are way up. Something’s not working!"

Van Gundy then received a reply from one of the current NBA greats ... Kevin Durant.

"Stan spittin," Durant responded in agreement with Van Gundy's tweet.

However, Van Gundy didn't see it that way and felt Durant was criticizing his take.

So he continued the conversation to defend his stance ...

"No. I’m not criticizing players," Van Gundy said. "I’m saying that we are getting something wrong in how we prepare and train players. We can’t do anything about injuries like yours, he fell on your leg. But all of these groin, hamstring injuries etc. shouldn’t be happening as much as they are."

But Durant, one of the few players who played in the 2000s, agreed with Van Gundy, but the 61-year-old coach didn't understand the vocabulary of today.

So the next time Van Gundy spits on Twitter or in the booth, maybe he'll understand the compliment the next time he receives one.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Published Jan 20, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.