{"id":1337095,"date":"2021-03-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1337095"},"modified":"2021-03-20T09:00:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T13:00:06","slug":"stan-van-gundy-wnba-enough-credit-speaking-racial-injustice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/stan-van-gundy-wnba-enough-credit-speaking-racial-injustice\/","title":{"rendered":"Stan Van Gundy Says the WNBA ‘Doesn't Get Enough Credit' for Speaking Out About Racial Injustice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Commanding billions of dollars across franchises and teams<\/a>, the NBA is indisputably one of the most powerful entities in sports. The hours of viewership it racks up are tremendously valuable to advertisers. In recent years, however, many players and coaches have used their platform<\/a> to share important messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although incorporating politics into the sports world is inevitably controversial, some of the biggest stars have risked their careers<\/a> to stand up for what they believe is right. Most recently, famous coach Stan Van Gundy has gone from play-making to protesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stan Van Gundy is a sideline staple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Coach Stan Van Gundy of the New Orleans Pelicans | Christian Petersen\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: A\u2019ja Wilson Hopes Her Latest Accomplishment Inspires Future Generations<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any basketball fan will recognize the name “Van Gundy,” although you may have to clarify which one you're talking about. Bill Van Gundy, an accomplished college basketball coach, became the patriarch of a sports legacy with the birth of his sons, Stan and Jeff. After a successful career in coaching, the latter shifted his focus to sports analysis<\/a>. Stan, on the other hand, stayed true to his father's path.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young Van Gundy had a rough start at coaching. After building up his resum\u00e9 at smaller colleges, NBC Sports<\/a> documents his first big gig as head coach at the Division 1 University of Wisconsin-Madison. Unfortunately, a disappointing 13-14 record left to a swift firing in 1995. He quickly picked up a position as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat, casting him as a character in quite the success story. After years of Heat wins under Pat Riley, the head coach stepped down and passed the position off to Van Gundy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His two seasons with the team would prove to be award-winning and career-defining. When he resigned from the Heat in 2005, he was quickly snatched up by the Orlando Magic. Though he led the team to years of success and an NBA final, a falling out with Dwight Howard would lead to his dismissal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coach learned some valuable lessons from the NBA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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