A new NBA season brings numerous changes, particularly in the media landscape. When Adam Silver and the league agreed to their new 11-year, $76 billion media deal, Amazon and NBC seized control of NBA coverage from TNT, ushering in a new era of basketball streaming.
That era begins when the season starts on October 21, but what the NBA on Prime has in store for fans worldwide is something special.
Stan Van Gundy is one of many notable basketball figures to usher in this new empire for Amazon, whose coverage is promising to deliver the highest quality of broadcasting, analysis, and entertainment to every basketball fan's home.
“Amazon put together a really unique roster of players who may not have been in front of the camera a lot, but they are going to be great,” Van Gundy, who joined Amazon this summer, told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview before the 2025-26 season. “We got some really fantastic people with playing backgrounds that I just think will be exceptional on TV. I am even doing the NBA Cup with Dwyane Wade.
“Amazon has gone out and targeted the best in the business with so many different personalities.”
If there is one person who knows about the changes across the NBA through the decades, it's Van Gundy, simply because he has experienced the game of basketball through many different lenses.
Aside from being a successful head coach in the league during three very different eras, the 66-year-old basketball guru has found a new niche over the last seven years, which does not include a year-long break in 2020 to be the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.
From Dwyane Wade to Dwight Howard to Blake Griffin to Zion Williamson, Van Gundy has coached elite-level All-Stars in the league — two of whom are now his colleagues at Amazon in Wade and Griffin.
Not only have Van Gundy's experiences with these players molded him into a successful coach over the last handful of decades, but they've also made him an even better commentator.
That is why Van Gundy is an essential part of Amazon's coverage of the NBA entering the 2025-26 season and why he has been a fan favorite over the years during his time at ESPN and TNT.
As the 2025-26 season begins and Van Gundy prepares for another year of traveling to watch all 30 teams play their respective 82-game slates, he is like every other NBA fan gathering information and dissecting different teams' chances of winning the NBA Finals.
Fresh off their championship run and 68-win season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have rightfully earned the title as the team to beat in this league. While they may be young, the Thunder don't lack any confidence, and the standard they hold themselves to on and off the court is what has Van Gundy's attention.
“They are the team to beat, no question. I don’t think there is another team close to them,” Van Gundy explained to ClutchPoints. “OKC was dominant and rightfully won the championship… They talked about a standard of play and how to hold yourself every day as they were rising the ranks, and that has continued with them being the top team in the league.
“I have no doubt that they will enter the year with the same demeanor and mentality they had throughout the years.”
Of course, along with keeping a close eye on the defending champions and how other teams match up against them, one of the other big storylines Van Gundy is following revolves around the continued legacy of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
All three legends continue to redefine longevity in the NBA in their own ways, and they remain three of the best players in the NBA today.
Nobody knows how much longer LeBron, Steph, and KD will play, but what Van Gundy does know is that when these Hall of Famers are ready to call it quits, the NBA will be in good hands.
“We are at an amazing time in the league because fans can tune in to watch the twilight of these legends’ careers, but we have a great group coming up between the young guys and those sort of in the middle,” Van Gundy said regarding the state of the league. “You’ve got Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Look, the NBA has never lacked talent, but what I think has been really good is that we got really great people.”
Van Gundy added how he respects James, Curry, and Durant so much for how they conduct themselves as leaders and mentors of basketball. Without them, there wouldn't be a whole plethora of All-Stars right behind them ready to have the torch passed down to them.
With Opening Night for the 2025-26 NBA season drawing near and NBA on Prime about to debut their All-Star-like coverage of the league, Stan Van Gundy sat down with ClutchPoints for an all-encompassing Q&A exclusive detailing what fans should expect from Amazon this season, Dwight Howard's legacy, LeBron James and Stephen Curry's continued impact on the league, and more.
Congrats on joining the Amazon team for the 2025-26 season and beyond. What are you most looking forward to in your first season with a new, loaded Prime team?
Stan Van Gundy: Well, I think it’s a group that has a lot of ideas for doing the game differently. We know that young people tend to watch games through various streaming options, so I think it’s exciting to be included in that movement we have in the media. Amazon has a tremendous reach not just here, but overseas as well. They really put together an incredible team, not just broadcasters, but also production crew, producers, directors, camera people – it’s going to be an outstanding product. I can’t wait to get started.
What are you most excited for fans to see with Amazon’s new coverage of the NBA this year, besides the product on the court?
SVG: As time goes on, this group won’t be afraid to try things. I think we’ve seen that with Thursday Night Football. When Amazon thinks there might be a better way to show a game or a better way to point things out to fans, they’re going to try it. This is not a group that will just stay in the box and do all that, so I love that about Amazon. I also love that we have people who are very, very experienced in the NBA. We got Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan, two guys that I’ve both worked with quite a bit. Two of the absolute best in the business.
That was a great thing for me, coming over with familiarity with those two. Cassidy Hubbarth may be young, but she has a lot of experience on the sideline and is amazing at what she does. Just top to bottom, experience exists on our team, and they understand what NBA fans want.
Amazon put together a really unique roster of players who may not have been in front of the camera a lot, but they are going to be great. Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Udonis Haslem, Steve Nash – All of these guys are going to be outstanding. John Wall may know more about the world of basketball than anyone else out there because of his high school, college, and NBA connections. He will be a great addition to the network because of his insane basketball mind. I don’t want to leave anybody out from what I’m saying! Rudy Gay, Brent Barry, Jimmy Jackson, Candace Parker…
I mean, we got some really fantastic people with playing backgrounds that I just think will be exceptional on TV. I am even doing the NBA Cup with Dwyane Wade. Amazon has gone out and targeted the best in the business with so many different personalities.
When you think about calling games with Ian Eagle, Brian Anderson, and Kevin Harlan, what’s your fondest memory with any one of them in the arena?
SVG: You know what? I’m not a great anecdote guy, Brett. But look, these guys are true professionals. They are ultra-prepared, which is crazy because they do multiple sports and are working at least four days a week, doing different sports and traveling. Every time I call a game with them, it seems like they’ve had a whole week to prepare rather than 24 hours. They bring great knowledge, but I value their enthusiasm. After all the years of doing it, they are super excited to be in the arena and on the court every night.
Those guys – play-by-play announcers – are like your best player on the team. Your point guard, you could say, in basketball. They set the tone for everything during the broadcast, and it would be almost impossible to sit next to one of them and not be excited, no matter what the game is.
For me, Ian and Kevin, and even Brian Anderson, who I worked with at TNT, those guys have been very helpful for those at Amazon who don’t have a lot of experience. Their feedback is essential to what we are building. We say it all the time when we are judging the best players: Well, does he make other people better? Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, and Brian Anderson make everyone around them better, from producers to analysts to sideline people to me. Everyone is better when they are there.
You know, one memory of you and Kevin that always pops into my head, and you’ve sort of become a meme in the sports world for it, is that 2023 NCAA Tournament game when Furman upset Virginia in the final seconds. Kevin is freaking out and going crazy on the call, and the video shows you in absolute shock, frozen in your seat. Do you remember what you were thinking at this moment, and what can you tell all the fans who constantly use this video for their own reactions to big moments, especially in the NBA?
SVG: I was shocked, as I am sure the video shows! I come from a coaching background, so for me, I tend to immediately think of the coach who is on the wrong side of things. As excited as I was to see Furman pull off this upset, I was looking at Tony Bennett on the Virginia sideline and saying, “Man, I know how that feels.” But we were all just stunned at the moment. What you think is that Furman would foul and Virginia would make their free throws to hold on, but then they get the turnover, and someone who hadn’t made a three in forever drains it.
"HIEN [TO] PEGUES! GOOOOD! FURMAN LEADS! TIMEOUT VIRGINIA! DID WE JUST SEE WHAT WE THINK WE JUST SAW?!"
Kevin Harlan, Stan Van Gundy, and Dan Bonner on the incredible call for No. 13 Furman's upset of No. 4 Virginia 🤯
(via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/HGzrEadr3j
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 20, 2023
That shot is legendary and will always be on highlights of the NCAA Tournament for years to come, just like Bryce Drew's shot when he was at Valparaiso. This shot will be shown for years in connection with the tournament. If you saw Kevin on that call, he had his arms out holding us back because he wanted the crowd noise and the reaction to speak. That is what I am talking about with Kevin and Ian. They are going to help the broadcast be better because they know TV. They know right then and there that you need to let the moment breathe and make the fans feel like they are a part of the arena. It’s one of my favorite memories, one of my most fun memories, in my broadcasting career.
It’s a new NBA season, and the Thunder have gone from the hunters, as one of the youngest teams in league history, to the top of the totem pole. What are you expecting from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and this group?
SVG: They are the team to beat, no question. I don’t think there is another team close to them. OKC was dominant and rightfully won the championship. Denver gave them a pretty good run in the playoffs, but other than that, they sort of walked through it. They are just such a deep team. If Shai gets hurt, obviously, all bets are off, but they can weather injuries to virtually anybody else on their roster. Those other guys are good. Jalen Williams is an All-Star, and I’m not taking anything away from him or Chet Holmgren, but if those guys go down, they get people to step into those spots. Shai is irreplaceable, but everyone else… I mean, it’s hard, other than an injury to Shai, to see any other team taking them down.
I believe this team will weather the expectations well, coming off their championship, because Mark Daigneault is not only an outstanding tactical coach, but from the start of the rebuild he was in on, he has coached this team with incredible consistency from day to day. They talked about a standard of play and how to hold yourself every day as they were rising the ranks, and that has continued with them being the top team in the league. I have no doubt that they will enter the year with the same demeanor and mentality they have had throughout the years. This team is really, really good, and that’s not changing.
You’ve been to the NBA Finals as a coach. You’ve coached an MVP-caliber player in Dwight Howard before, along with countless other All-Stars. From your perspective and experiences, what will OKC and SGA experience this season, coming off all the highs of last year, that will be new for them? What do they need to do in order to sustain success?
SVG: Well, here’s the thing. The one thing that really is different is that during their rise to the top and throughout last season, that excitement factor that you faced every day has changed. The excitement that you face every day from the fans – you’re getting applauded for every win and every step you take up the ladder to the top along the way. Now, what really changes is that people start to take those things for granted. Wins are now not as exciting as they once were from the fan and media perspectives, and god forbid you lose a game to, say, a sub-.500 team; it’s now this huge issue when it wasn’t before. You could win 60 games, and nobody will think it’s a great accomplishment. But on the flip side, if you lose three or four games, everyone acts like the world is ending.
It is definitely a huge mental struggle that the Thunder will go through, as has every champion team before them, because it’s almost like you can’t win in the fans' and media’s eyes. The fun won’t ever be like it was the last couple of years for OKC. Every team, whether it’s the Warriors with multiple championships or the Celtics, who were good for a string of years before that title in 2024, when you are those teams, you have to learn to deal with those expectations and find ways to create your own enthusiasm and joy. Those factors no longer come from the outside once you reach the top. You have to create it for yourself.
The other problem you have is that on the way up, everybody is just happy to be a part of it, with the team winning and finding success. Now, with this really deep team, you could run into something where everybody wants a little bit of a bigger role. Pat Riley wrote a book years ago called The Winner Within, and he called it the “disease of ME.” People start getting a little selfish because they take winning for granted. I am not saying that will happen because I think this is a very high-character group in OKC, and I think that’s been the intent of Sam Presti building his roster. All I am saying is that it’s certainly a possibility and something they need to guard against.
Going back to Dwight, he was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, and during his speech, he said: “There is no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy.” Can you explain what this moment and Dwight being inducted into the Hall of Fame meant to you?
SVG: I was just really, really happy for Dwight. For whatever reason, at the end of his career, especially, I didn’t think Dwight was getting the respect he deserved. I would even have people asking me in interviews, “Is he a Hall of Famer?” I would look at them like they were crazy and say, “Are you kidding me?” I mean, just go back and look at what this guy did. I thought he was a major snub from the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. There are always some tough decisions, but Dwight shouldn’t have even been in that tough conversation. He was probably one of the top 50, let alone the top 75. How many times have there been players who made the First Team All-NBA five straight years? How many guys have been the DPOY three straight times? How many guys in the same year have led the league in rebounding and blocked shots? And then he’s a 20-point scorer and everything else. Dwight was a monster and one of the best players in the league during his prime.
Look, his last year with me in Orlando in 2012, he had a major back injury and ended up having surgery. While he was good after that, he was never able to get back to being the dominant guy that he was. I think people started to downplay what his career was because of that. For him to be recognized, his first chance to get into the Hall of Fame was huge. He and his family are great, great people. I know the people in Orlando and the Magic organization also enjoyed it, so I felt great for everyone else.
I was very fortunate as a coach to have a guy like Dwight. It’s a stroke of luck. In my first two jobs, I was able to coach Dwyane Wade and then Dwight Howard. I have a lot of nice things in my life because of the success those guys created that led to me. So when Dwight says that there is “no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy,” I simply respond by saying, “There is no Stan Van Gundy without guys like Dwayne Wade or Dwight Howard.” When you go through the best coaches in any sport, whether it’s Bill Belichick and he’s got Tom Brady, or Phil Jackson and he’s got Michael Jordan, followed by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Coaches don’t get recognition and don’t have all those great things come to them if they are not fortunate enough to coach great players. I have a tremendous appreciation for players in general, particularly in terms of what Dwight contributed to all of our success.
Speaking of coaches in the NBA, it seems like many organizations are so quick to put the blame on them every year and not see visions through. Last year in particular, we saw notable coaches like Mike Brown, Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, and Tom Thibodeau fired despite leading their teams to playoff success through the years. Do you think the state of NBA coaching is in a good place?
SVG: Overall, I think over the last few years, there’s been a little more stability. The interesting thing is that now, all of the people you look at who tend to be replaced are coaches on good teams. If you look at the bottom of the league, teams that aren’t winning at all because there aren’t any expectations for them, those guys are probably the safest coaches there are. But the guys you mentioned, they all did great jobs not only last year but through the years.
Again, when you set a certain standard and all successful standards go through it, people expect you to just take another step every year. But the reality is, it doesn’t work that way in any business. Sometimes it levels off and whatever, and then the coaches are basically paying the price for their success. You start to take Michael Malone in Denver for granted. You start to take Tom Thibodeau and him creating a resurgence in New York for granted. You take Mike Brown, who ended the Kings’ dreadful playoff drought, for granted.
Organizations say all the time, “Well, we want to get to the next level.” Okay, but everybody does. Only one team can win it all every year, and what I think a lot of organizations tend to forget is that there are more levels below where you are than above. So when you say as a team that you want to get to the next level, there’s a very good chance that the next level will actually be the next level down. There’s maybe a better chance of that happening than continuing to take steps forward. When you go into coaching, the rewards are obviously great. You know what the deal is going in, and you take the bad with the good. (Stan shrugs). It’s that simple sometimes.
We have seen a lot of coaches go in and out of the NBA through the years, and one of them to make a comeback is your brother, Jeff. He was out of coaching in the NBA for over a decade, and he decided to get back involved as an assistant for the Clippers after serving as a senior consultant for the Celtics' front office in 2024. How would you rate the job he has done in Los Angeles?
SVG: Well, he was fabulous last year. The Clippers’ defense was outstanding. What made this so impressive is that they achieved this with a roster that not many thought would be all that great defensively. The Clippers were a bottom-10 defense the year before, and all of a sudden, Jeff has them ranked third in the league defensively. I think what surprised a lot of people, including many media folks I spoke with, is that this is a guy who is 63 years old and has as strong of a relationship with players as they do with one another.
Players love Jeff, and that’s not surprising to me. He has always been able to relate to and hold special bonds with players throughout all of his years as a coach. This is not only because of his knowledge of the game, but because he’s honest and simply tells people how it is. Players always want to learn and grow, and they can’t do that with people sugar-coating things. You’ll never get any bullshit from him. On top of that, what people don’t see in him from the outside is that he has a great sense of humor. He’s just a really good person and truly cares about those around him.
I know that I am obviously biased since he’s my brother; there’s clearly no question about that, but I think as jobs open up — and I certainly don’t hope for coaches to lose their jobs around the league, and I’m a pro-coach guy all the way — I view him as a head coach. Jeff can absolutely walk in and get the job done yet again.
You’ve been around the NBA for quite some time and have witnessed three of the greatest careers in NBA history watching them on the sidelines and calling games for LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Are you shocked that these guys are still the faces of the NBA, with LeBron being 40 and both Steph & KD being 37?
SVG: (Stan laughs) First of all, it’s a lot more fun to watch them where I am sitting now than where I was on the other bench, Brett. That wasn’t fun going against those guys at all. I did not enjoy watching those guys play at all. But, obviously, it’s fun watching them now where I am calling the game from. It’s really a testament to the time and effort they put into taking care of themselves. If you look particularly at LeBron and Steph, they may be the two most conditioned basketball players we’ve ever seen. Beyond their talent, I mean, these are two highly conditioned guys.
Look, it’s harder as the years go on. You have to take care of yourself more. Recovery in your 20s is pretty easy for a professional athlete. You might be able to go out or not watch your diet, but if you’re going to compete with these guys into your late 30s and into your 40s for LeBron, you’ve really got to make some sacrifices. Same with Kevin Durant, but he’s had to come back from major injuries. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those guys.
We are at an amazing time in the league because fans can tune in to watch the twilight of these legends’ careers, but we have a great group coming up between the young guys and those sort of in the middle. You’ve got Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the first who come to mind. Look, the NBA has never lacked talent, but what I think has been really good is that we got really great people.
Those veterans – Steph, LeBron, and KD – they get it. Nobody really gets it more than Steph Curry with the way he relates to fans and things like that. When you’re as talented as those guys, you can act however you want and get away with it. But these guys understand their responsibility to the game itself and to the fans. I probably have more respect for how they conduct themselves in that way than they do on the court.
Obviously, LeBron will probably retire first out of the three superstars, but everyone keeps wondering when he will ultimately call it quits. Do you have an infamous Stan Van Gundy prediction for when James will retire?
SVG: No, I really don’t. When I was coaching, I would advocate it every year. You know, I just didn’t want to see him get hurt, and I thought he should’ve hung it up seven or eight years ago! (Stan chuckles) But now, as an announcer, it’s a little bit different. Here’s the thing with LeBron – I think there are four main things he will consider moving forward. The first is just the passion and love for the game. Does he still enjoy doing this every day and having the NBA be his daily life? He certainly doesn’t have to play any longer if he doesn’t want to. Nobody has ever had a better career in the NBA, and nobody has ever done as much as LeBron James has. He has to still love it every day.
The second thing is whether he is still playing at a level he is comfortable with. Obviously, he has been able to play at a high level up to now, and I would assume he would continue that. But he has very high standards on the court, so is he still meeting those standards he set for himself? And then I think a lot of it comes down to two things out of his control: Does he view the Lakers as being on the right path as a contending organization, and what happens with Bronny? Does Bronny get to a level where he’s getting minutes and it’s not a novelty anymore? It’s an unbelievable story for him playing with his son, no matter how you put it, but what happens if Bronny starts to get in the rotation? Maybe that persuades LeBron to hang around a little bit longer.
With the new season about to begin, everyone is giving their predictions. What is one bold prediction you have or one major storyline you are urging fans to follow entering the 2025-26 season?
SVG: Wow, that’s really interesting because there is probably more than one. I am just going to say that I think the East is wide open because of all the injuries. Everyone is pointing to New York and Cleveland, and they'll both be very good. But I think the two teams everyone in the East needs to keep track of are Detroit and Orlando.
These are two young teams with great coaches and they have developed a great culture around their teams. Both teams are great defensively and have young stars to build around. Detroit has Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren. Orlando has Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and now they get Desmond Bane. The rise of those two teams has been amazing.
If we are talking about the biggest storyline, I’d have to ask if anyone can challenge Oklahoma City. I’m not sure there is anyone equipped to do so in the playoffs. I think that team has it locked. They have done a great job of drafting, developing, and filling spots. Sam Presti has been unbelievable. I don’t know if anyone can catch them, but we will start finding out in a couple of weeks. My one, big, bold prediction that I know will be right is that all of these predictions we are seeing from people right now will be more wrong than they are right. You can count on that!
