May 10, 2005
I'm glad the Jeff Van Gundy saga is over.

NBA commissioner David Stern sent a clear message by fining Van Gundy $100,000 after the Rockets' coach claimed that an anonymous official told him the league was looking closely at Yao Ming and illegal screens.

Van Gundy has now apologized, claiming his remarks were misunderstood. He said he spoke to a league official and not a referee. But coaches should understand now – if they didn't before – that comments like these won't be tolerated when the integrity of the league is at stake.

The fine was sufficient punishment, and now it's time for everyone involved to move on.

Van Gundy clearly was upset that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban complained to the NBA about Yao. Van Gundy felt it would lead to an unfair advantage for Dallas in the Rockets-Mavs first-round series, which the Mavs won in seven games.

But once Van Gundy talked about bias, he crossed the line. That created a nightmare for Stern and the league, because integrity is so important. Stern jumped on Van Gundy's comments. He wasn't going to accept this.

I never thought Van Gundy made up the story, though some did. I know the coach is a fighter, a battler, a winner. He was speaking from his heart and trying to get that extra edge.

For years, coaches have tried to set up officials for future games by making comments in the media. Coaches attempt to get a psychological edge with the officials, doing all they can to gain an advantage for their teams.

This time, Van Gundy went too far, leading to the largest fine ever for an NBA coach.

At first, the league indicated that Van Gundy could face a suspension on top of the $100,000 fine – but the fine was sufficient punishment, and now it's time for everyone involved to move on.

Van Gundy has work to do after his Rockets lost a first-round playoff series. For Stern, the focus now is on the rest of the NBA playoffs.

I'm just glad this situation is resolved.

Dick Vitale coached the Detroit Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question to Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.