Van Gundy backtracks from comments
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-10 09:09

Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy clarified comments about an official telling him Rockets center Yao Ming was being targeted by referees in the first round of the playoffs, and the NBA now considers the matter closed.

Jeff Van Gundy [AP]

"When I referred to an NBA official, people inferred that I was talking about a working NBA referee, instead of an official with the league," Van Gundy said Monday in a statement released by the Rockets. "I was purposely vague because I had given my word that I would keep his name out of it."

The league fined Van Gundy $100,000 — the largest assessed against a coach — after saying that an official who was not working the playoffs told him that Yao was being targeted following complaints by Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Houston's first-round opponent.

Van Gundy subsequently apologized publicly for the comments.

"He has also confirmed directly to an NBA representative that, during the Houston-Dallas playoff series, he did not have any communication with a referee (working or non-working) other than, of course, during an ongoing game," NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said in a statement Monday. "In fact, his only conversations with league employees during the series were with league personnel in the normal course.

"In light of these circumstances, we now consider the matter to be closed."

Van Gundy started the saga by telling three reporters at the team hotel in Dallas that a referee not working the playoffs called him after the Rockets went up 2-0 and warned that Yao was mentioned in an online evaluation from supervisor of officials Ronnie Nunn.

Van Gundy also told the reporters that referees "were looking at Yao harder because of Mark's complaints" to the league office, referring to Cuban.

Commissioner David Stern said an investigation into Van Gundy's remarks would continue once the Rockets were out of the playoffs. Houston was eliminated by the Mavericks in Game 7 of their first-round series on Saturday night.

Stern threatened more punishment — perhaps even banishment — if Van Gundy did not cooperate and reveal the name of the referee who was the coach's source.

"I did not want the issue to continue, so rather than clarifying my original comments, I chose to let the matter die since I was wrong to bring the official into it to start with," Van Gundy said. "I have been honest during this process, loyal to those involved and have apologized for my comments. I look forward to putting this behind me."

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