Looking for some Magic in Finals from Stan Van Gundy

Some of us vividly remember being in the room the day Phil Jackson was introduced as head coach of the Bulls.

That Phil Jackson, the lunch-bucket Phil, was humble, fallible and self-effacing.

He didn't have all the answers and still spoke with the voice of a man who survived a profound trip through the '60s.

Jackson - take a deep breath - was even respectful to Jerry Krause, who handed him a team on the verge of winning a championship.

Six of them, to be accurate.

Had Krause not made the call when he did - 20 years ago next month - it's hard to imagine Jackson would have become the man who today wears expensive suits, eats in trendy L.A. restaurants, and is sometimes called the greatest coach of all time.

It's a title, by the way, that Phil welcomes, and to which he likely subscribes.

And I take nothing away from him.

I don't agree with those who insist he was merely a passenger on the championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles. He has many strengths, and he is a terrific coach by any standard, regardless of the greats he inherited.

But in the 2009 NBA Finals, which begin today (8 p.m., Channel 7), I have to root for the other coach, because Stan Van Gundy is at heart and on stage, a slob with whom I can more easily identify.

Phil already has nine rings, and Van Gundy only has one, given to him under bizarre circumstances in 2006.

It's still unclear why Van Gundy "resigned" or was taken down by Pat Riley, who then had the good fortune of riding Dwyane Wade to the NBA title that same season. Riley later gave Van Gundy a ring, but the latter doesn't know why the former did it, never wanted it, and has no idea where the ring is today.

But Orlando is most assuredly Van Gundy's team, and in a battle of Hollywood vs. Hayseeds, I gotta go bucolic here.

Van Gundy will sweat more than his players, sport spills on his shirt, and speak at postgame news conferences as though he has swallowed more gravel than Gatorade.

This is GQ vs. Monthly Mechanics, blue blood vs. blue collar, sushi vs. Sbarro.

It may be a fool's errand, as the outcome has probably been decided.

Nevertheless, I'm pulling for Orlando.

Smelly shirts and all.

TV and Big Z

You only thought the Cubs' bullpen made you sick Tuesday night, when it gave away yet another Randy Wells victory.

Some hours after that fiasco, I stumbled upon a reality show on Bravo called, "NYC Prep," and then I was truly nauseated.

It's about billionaire teens living in Manhattan and their struggle to balance partying with shopping and hooking up, not to mention spending more cash in a night on the town than most people make in a year.

After realizing it wasn't an "SNL" bit, I tried to turn it off, but it was the 16-car pileup from which I could not turn away.

Not only am I now certain the apocalypse is upon us, but it made me feel much better about the actions of one Carlos Zambrano.

Sure, he's a petulant child who throws a fit every time he doesn't get his way, costs his team wins by acting like a lunatic, and appears to be in complete denial about his anger management and emotional problems.

But at least he ain't no billionaire teen living in Manhattan, worried about where his next designer outfit is coming from, or how to choose between lavish vacations in the South of France and luxurious beach homes in Montauk.

Upon further review, and after my brief and disturbing encounter with the netherworld, I believe Zambrano to be relatively normal and somewhat well adjusted.

I'll now sit down and listen for my aneurysm.

Short stops

The scary thing about Alexei Ramirez's mediocre start in the field this year is that it took him all of five minutes to adjust to second base last year, and shortstop is supposed to be his natural position.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

How about the play of Buffalo Grove native Brett Lebda?

The 27-year-old Wings defenseman is a plus-9 in the postseason and has become a very valuable member of the defending Stanley Cup champs as they head for a double.

In five games against the Blackhawks, Lebda was a plus-3 with 4 points, including 2 assists in the Wings' 2-1, Game 5 clincher, when he played more than 25 minutes.

Lebda, a bargain at $850,000 next season, will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2009-10 season.

The good cause

The fourth annual American Football Coaches' Randy Walker Golf Outing will be held June 29 at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, where Wisconsin's Bret Bielema will give the keynote address.

Pat Fitzgerald, Rich Rodriguez, Tyrone Willingham and Ted Hendricks are among many scheduled to participate in the golf, auction and dinner, which has raised nearly $500,000 for programs supporting youth suicide prevention and a national child identification initiative in partnership with the FBI.

For more info, visit afcf.us.

Just goaltending

If the Red Wings defeat Pittsburgh, that will be four rings for Chris Osgood, including three as a starter, and then don't you have to start talking about Osgood for the Hall of Fame?

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Bulls showing no remorse for drafting a player with poor SAT score."

And finally -

Miami Herald's Greg Cote, on the sale of the Florida Panthers: "Who, sober, would spend $240 million to own the NHL's most barren outfit in a place where hockey gets along about as well as an ice cube on June asphalt?"

brozner@dailyherald.com