The Big Lead

Jeff Van Gundy has hilarious playoff confrontation with Nikola Jokic

The Clippers assistant coach scrapped with Denver's star center 27 years after grabbing Alonzo Mourning.

By Joe Lago

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy gestures during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy gestures during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Jeff Van Gundy was back on the bench in an NBA playoff game and caught in the most bizarre confrontation with the opponent's star center.

Wait, what year is this again?

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Twenty-seven years ago, Van Gundy, then the head coach of the New York Knicks, famously grabbed the leg of Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning while attempting to break up a fight between Mourning and Knicks forward Larry Johnson during the teams' 1998 first-round playoff series. Van Gundy is an accomplished coach, having led New York to the 1999 NBA Finals, but the leg grab is the most amusing moment of his career.

On Saturday, Van Gundy found himself in another confrontation with another opposing big man late in the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round playoff series opener against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.

With 34 seconds left in the game, the Clippers lead assistant coach got into an odd tug-of-war with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. After a Kawhi Leonard turnover, Van Gundy clung to the basketball while Jokic tried to pry it away. Presumably, Van Gundy refused to let go to prevent Jokic from quickly inbounding the ball.

Delay of game was not called by the referees. Denver interim head coach David Adelman joked that he'll have his assistants use the same tactics if there are no repercussions.

“I mean, my guys have got to step it up. If we’re allowed to just grab the ball and stop plays from happening and it’s not a delay of game, what have we been doing all year?” Adelman told reporters. “I was an assistant, so what was I doing all year? So if that is OK to do, and I guess that’s OK, then I guess we should start doing it. I’ve never seen that before, to be honest.”

Nuggets guard Christian Braun made light of the situation, too, giving the 63-year-old Van Gundy credit for being able to hold onto the ball against the 6-foot-11, 284-pound Jokic.

“It’s pretty embarrassing for Jok," Braun joked. "He's in the weight room now."

Unfortunately for head coach Tyronn Lue and Van Gundy, the Clippers couldn't hold onto the ball in overtime. They committed four of their 20 turnovers in the extra period and lost 112-110 to fall into a 0-1 series hole against the Nuggets.

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