Stan Van Gundy wanted to be a fair and funny broadcaster

By now you have probably heard that Stan Van Gundy will NOT be joining ESPN as a studio analyst, and Stan is NOT happy about the lack of an explanation.

Now, the news is out about who will fill the chair that would have been Stan’s.

From Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead.com: “Jalen Rose, whose star continues to rise at ESPN, has just been selected as the 4th member of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” sources tell me. The deal, which came together over the weekend, will pair Rose with Bill Simmons, Magic Johnson and Michael Wilbon, as ESPN makes a run at TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” The two shows don’t go head-to-head, but “Inside the NBA” is far more popular among fans.

Whatever the reason for the lack of an agreement between ESPN and Stan, it is a pity for basketball fans than the elder Van Gundy brother will not be providing his insight.

What kind of a broadcaster would Stan have been?

Before his deal broke off, Van Gundy answered that question for me in an interview recorded for the soon-to-debut SheridanHoopsRadio:

SVG: “First of all, I haven’t finalized anything yet, but we’re moving in that direction. I don’t know. It’s a whole new dynamic for me, so I don’t think there’s any way to know if I’ll be any good or anything else at that. Until you do it, you just don’t have any idea. I’m looking forward to trying something new. I’m looking forward to trying to get better. I’ll always certainly try to be honest, but whether I’ll be any good, I don’t have any idea.”

“I wasn’t maybe David Stern’s favorite coach in the league. David likes to control everybody and I would say some things he didn’t like. I’m not looking to be outrageous or say things. I get asked questions, and unfortunately, sometimes, I’ll just say the first thing that pops into my head without really editing myself, and that’s gotten me into trouble at times.”