Van Gundy tells Johnson to stop talking about LeBron James

Omnisports

April 22, 2016 10:29 AM

Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Stanley Johnson to stop talking about LeBron James.

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Detroit Pistons guard Stanley Johnson has had no problem speaking his mind during his team's first-round play-off series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but head coach Stan Van Gundy wants the rookie to ease up a bit.

After losing game two to the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Johnson said he was "definitely" in James' head.

But James went six-for-six from the floor against Johnson en route to 27 points.

"I had a talk with Stan today, and so I'll leave it at that," Van Gundy told a news conference on Thursday.

"I told him what I thought about his comments and everything. That's a discussion that we had today."

Van Gundy, who has made some controversial comments of his own regarding James in this series, admitted even he cringed when he first saw what Johnson said.

"Well, look, you do [cringe] a little bit," he said.

"But you also, you have to realise he's a 19-year-old kid going through this for the first time. You get him right after a game like that, and he's frustrated and all of that.

"We met, we talked. He knows how I feel, what my concerns are, but it wasn't an anger session. It wasn't a 'you're an a***hole type of thing.' It wasn't. It's just another learning experience for a 19-year-old kid."

Over the last few months, Johnson has made enemies with a couple of the game's biggest stars.

First it was Kevin Durant, when the Oklahoma City Thunder star said, "Who cares about Detroit?" when asked why he was resting during a game against the Pistons late in the season.

Now it's James, but Van Gundy does not think his rookie's comments will impact how the star plays in game three.

"No," Van Gundy said.

"Look, LeBron understands that it's about the game. I don't think a guy like him needs much more motivation. They're talking about trying to win a championship. That's a lot more motivating than something a rookie might have said."

Omnisports

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