{
  "id": 7854170,
  "title": "Decades later, Van Gundy was surprised to hear about …",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/decades-later-van-gundy-was-surprised-to-hear-about",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T19:36:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/decades-later-van-gundy-surprised-193642240.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Decades later, former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy expressed surprise upon hearing about the significant impact he had on former player Sam McCaffrey. While their many years in the sports industry may appear to be mere blips, McCaffrey vividly recalled the precise words Van Gundy imparted during their workouts. \"Respect yourself, respect the game and get better every day,\" McCaffrey reminisced. Van Gundy, candidly stating, \"taught me how to be a basketball player.\" Astonished by the realization of his influence, Van Gundy never viewed his role as particularly important; he simply worked as a young coach refining a player's skills. However, this revelation reminded him of the mentors who similarly shaped his career. Among these, one figure remains notably obscure to many.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy surprised by impact on Sam McCaffrey.",
    "Van Gundy never saw his role as important, now realizes his mentorship influence."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}