For the second time in six days, Smith held a basketball painted team colors and posed for pictures with a man he introduced as head coach. He tried to keep a sense of humor.

“We started this offseason and the process of looking for a head coach. We targeted two guys, and we actually hired them both within a six day period of time,” Smith said.

Van Gundy also was considered by the Charlotte Bobcats and Indiana Pacers, but those teams hired other coaches. He was in Sacramento yesterday, close to accepting a job with the Kings because the Orlando situation was so fragile. But Van Gundy said Orlando was his top choice.

“From a professional standpoint this is just a tremendous opportunity,” he said. “You come to a franchise here in Orlando that has a great young core, starting with a 21-year-old All-Star in Dwight Howard, several other very good young players, salary cap flexibility — and beyond the flexibility moneywise a very attractive place for players to come.”

Van Gundy was Riley’s longtime protege before taking over as Heat coach shortly Dwyane Wade’s first season, in 2003-04. That team started 0-7, but wound up 42-40 and made the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Wade, the MVP of last season’s NBA finals, credits Van Gundy for turning the season around.

Now, the two will meet four times a season as opponents in the Southeast Division.

“It’ll be exciting to go against a coach that I feel really helped me develop to this point and, as always, there’s that mutual respect,” Wade said this week. “So best of luck to Stan and his family and hopefully he gets what he wants and what he deserves.”

Van Gundy’s brother, Jeff, spent parts of 11 seasons coaching the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. Last month, Jeff was fired from the Rockets. Their father, Bill, was a successful college coach in upstate New York.

Van Gundy resigned as the Heat’s coach 21 games into the 2005-06 season, citing personal and family reasons. Riley took over, leading the Heat to their first championship.

He said he was ready to get back on the sideline after taking a year and a half off — his first vacation from 25 years as a college and pro coach and assistant.

“I got a chance to recharge and get reacquainted with my family and do a lot of things. But in the last six months, really since the turn of the year, probably after the holidays, I started wanting to get back in it more and more,” Van Gundy said.

Van Gundy was 112-73 at Miami and in 2004-05 won the Southeast Division and made the Eastern Conference finals. The team won 59 games that season, second best in franchise history.

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