Though Damon Jones isn’t quite the NBA’s Freddie Mitchell (for one thing, he can actually play) he’s still a reporter’s dream come true. From the Miami Herald’s Israel Gutierrez.
After Stan Van Gundy resigned Monday amid speculation Riley forced Van Gundy out of a job, Jones — who is on his 10th team in his eighth NBA season — said Van Gundy never had a chance.
”This is a business, and in my opinion, [Van Gundy] was set up to fail,” Jones (above) told the Cleveland media. ”The way [Van Gundy] likes to coach the game, he didn’t have the personnel to do it. Stan’s a great coach.”
After hearing the comment Friday for the first time, Riley said it was insulting.
”That’s a ludicrous statement,” Riley said. ”He’s questioning my integrity, and it is absolutely who he is. That’s why he’s who he is. If he said that, it’s a false statement, it’s a goddamn lie, and I want him to come to my face and tell me to my face and not tell [the media]. That’s what he should do.
”That’s wrong. But that’s why he’s Damon Jones.