Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy turns 50 next year, but like most good coaches, he’s not too old to learn a few new tricks — like text-messaging.

According to a story in yesterday’s Orlando Sentinel:

To improve communication, Van Gundy this summer reached out to players “in the world they live in,” becoming a text-message master.

When the Magic gave Van Gundy a Blackberry, he looked at it like it was a Rubik’s Cube.

He turned to his kids for texting help. He became skilled enough to exchange texts with [Magic center Dwight] Howard while he was in China during the Olympics.

“Quite honestly, seven months of me is a lot to take,” Van Gundy said. “Players need and want a break from me. What I did more than anything was texting guys. I’m a technological type of guy now.

“The other thing is, that’s not really as invasive to them. If they want to read it, fine. They can see it’s from me and — ‘Click. Delete!’ At least it lets them know that I’m thinking about them.”

Said Dwight Howard, “He’s pretty good at it.”