Jeff Van Gundy and U.S. women’s national soccer team players Meghan Klingenberg and Morgan Brian have a happy home.
Wait, what?
It’s true. Klingenberg and Brian live in Van Gundy’s Houston-area home with him, his wife Kim and their family, USA TODAY revealed Thursday.
Klingenberg and Brian play club soccer for the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League and stay with the Van Gundys as part of the team’s host-family program.
“I can’t tell you how fortunate we are,” Van Gundy, a former NBA coach and current ESPN basketball analyst, told USA TODAY’s For The Win. “You don’t know when you have people, but the example they set and also for me having been in the NBA for a long time, they just have a different perspective because they’ve never had it easy. And it’s interesting to watch them. They’re just really excited about the opportunities, and how they go about it is impressive.
“The utter lack of sense of entitlement was actually startling for me. For professional athletes, I always think about it in these terms: The most difficult diva of women’s soccer would be the easiest NBA player ever.”
Van Gundy invited Klingenberg, 26, to live with his family last year. Brian, 22, joined earlier this year after the Dash drafted her.
“They were absolutely so inviting,” Klingenberg said. “They made me feel like I was part of a family. Their house was my house. Anything I needed, they were willing to help.
The Team USA stars share cooking duties with the Van Gundys and are eager participants in “Pancake Sundays.” Yes, you read that correctly, too.
Unsurprisingly, Van Gundy is growing increasingly fond of soccer, and the consummate basketball man is cheering on his extended family members as they pursue a championship with Team USA at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Thumbnail photo via Michael Chow/USA TODAY Sports Images
