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"I always knew that I had a desire to coach [again] if the situation was right," Van Gundy said. "I wasn't trying to get my name in on every job. I wasn't calling my agent about every job. This one was one that I thought was a good fit on both sides, so I was very interested in it. I loved broadcasting. I was having a great time with it. A lot of people were helping me learn and try to get better, and I would have been fine and very, very happy if I had done that for the rest of my working life. But I guess deep down, I'm always a coach. When the right situation came, I was happy to be involved in it."
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"He's unique. That combination of size, quickness and explosive power, it really hasn't come along. People were trying to make the comparison to LeBron or to Charles Barkley, and that's probably as close as you'll get. But he's unique. He's not really those guys. LeBron's always been a primary ball-handler, point guard, point forward, whatever you want to call him. Barkley was maybe a closer analogy to Zion. What everybody notices is the big body and the great leaping ability, but he's also got an incredible first step offensively and plays the game very unselfishly. He makes quick decisions, the ball leaves his hand quickly, so other guys can enjoy playing with him. He's not a ball-stopper."
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Next up for Van Gundy will be working with the Pelicans front office on filling out his staff (he said he's "ecstatic" that someone else is in charge of making roster decisions this time, so he can focus on coaching) sometime between now and that uncertain date in the future when next season will begin. He's also begun calling his new players, including Williamson, and making plans to meet with them in person in the coming weeks.