Game 5 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday night, and it could conceivably be the final game of the 2011-2012 season with another Miami Heat victory. LeBron James reflected on the mistakes he made last season as he prepared for the possibility of achieving his dream of winning a championship. See what he and other players in the Finals had to say heading into the game, along with other relevant news.
LeBron James will head into Game 5 with the same mindset as the Thunder, from Joseph Goodman: ““Game 5 is a Game 7 for us,” LeBron James said. “It’s a must-win for them, but it’s a must-win for us, too. And as a leader of this team, I’ll approach it that way, and hopefully I won’t have to be dealing with cramps [Thursday] night.”
- James went into detail about how immature he was last season: “Last year after Game 6, after losing, once again, I was very frustrated. I was very hurt that I let my teammates down, and I was very immature. Like I said, last year I played to prove people wrong instead of just playing my game, instead of just going out and having fun and playing a game that I grew up loving and why I fell in love with the game. So I was very immature last year after Game 6 towards you guys and towards everyone that was watching. One thing that I learned, and someone taught me this, the greatest teacher you can have in life is experience.”
- Kevin Durant understands that one win will bring the series back to Oklahoma City, meaning the series is not over yet: “We know that it’s a new day and anything can happen,” said Kevin Durant. “It’s not over. You got to keep fighting and we’re going to fight to the end no matter what.” Durant continued. “That’s the type of DNA we have here,” he said. “That’s Oklahoma City as a city, Oklahoma as a state and the Thunder as a team. We’re going to fight to the end.”
- Durant, by the way, is getting sued for using the name “Durantula”: “Hoops superstar Kevin Durant is one game away from losing the NBA Finals, and now one lawsuit away from losing his famous nickname — “Durantula” — because a guitarist claims KD jacked it from him. Durant was sued today in Federal Court by a guy named Mark Durante — a guitarist who, according to the lawsuit, was a big deal in the 80s … playing with Public Enemy, The Aliens, The Next Big Thing, and (our favorite) The Revolting Cocks.”
Serge Ibaka clarified his statement about James being a bad defender, calling it a misinterpretation: “The guy ask me if LeBron is doing a good job stopping Kevin and I said he’s not, really, because he’s not really doing it by himself,” Ibaka said. “They’re doing a great job like a team and they’re going to help him a lot when he’s on Kevin. I wanted to say it kind of like that, and the guy interpreted like he did thinking like whatever.” The funny thing was that Ibaka didn’t even know the stir his misinterpreted words had caused until game time. “No, no. I just heard about it. Normally on game day I don’t watch TV – nothing so can just focus. I didn’t really know about it,” Ibaka said.”
- Speaking of suing, J.R. Smith is suing the Chinese team he played for during the lockout: “J.R. Smith is suing the Chinese team he played for during the lockout to recoup $1,078,500 of his salary that was withheld for missed practices and team meetings, the New York Post reported Thursday. Smith received only $1.82 million of his $2.88 million salary and didn’t receive $18,500 in bonuses he was due for victories, the Post reported.”
- Jeremy Lin switches agents and released this statement: “I believe Jim and the team at Williams & Connolly are the best fit for me in all aspects of my career,” Lin said in a statement. “With the quality and character of their firm and clients, their extensive basketball experience and tremendous success in athlete representation, I am confident that Williams & Connolly will provide me with the guidance I need to continue to develop personally and professionally. I am excited to have them work with Roger Montgomery and my current team.”
- Here is a list of top 10 selling jersey internationally: Kobe is the No. 1 selling jersey internationally. 2. D-Rose 3. LeBron 4. KG 5. DHoward 6. Wade 7. Rondo 8. Melo 9. Blake 10. KD.
- The Brooklyn Nets have made a killing in sales since switching states, according to Darren Rovell: The move from the New Jersey to Brooklyn is already paying off for the Nets. In fact, on the first day that the team officially became the Brooklyn Nets (April 30), there was more gear sold that day than the amount of New Jersey Nets gear for all of the 2010-11 season.”
Israel Gutierrez explains why Mario Chalmers took offense to Kevin Durant guarding him in Game 4: “Only Chalmers would consider being guarded by one of the game’s best players as a slight. But you’ve come to expect that mentality from him. “Yeah, I took that as a little sign of disrespect,” Chalmers said. “For me I worked too hard to be in the position I’m in now. Even though my offense wasn’t clicking three games in the series, I wanted to step up for my team, and I was able to do that.”
- Dwyane Wade explained why Tim Grover has been with him, from Ethan J. Skolnick: “I’m still here, I’m standing,” he joked. “No, just working, man. The biggest thing is, we have a great team. And my training staff and Tim are the only people I’ve really worked with over my nine years that know my body. And a couple of people here and there. So everybody that knows my body, I’ve decided to have them here, and to make sure they give me as much of an edge as possible. To get all of them together. That’s all I was able to do, and trying to make myself get stronger and stronger each game, and feel better and better each game.”
- A reporter named Ming Wong almost killed Steve Nash last night, according to himself: “While I was talking to Steve and putting my things down, one of the PR reps (if you look at the photo above, he’s the dude not Steve Nash in the photo) apparently tells me: “You can go at Steve and do anything you like–just don’t hang on the rim.” I, of course, only heard everything after that. Rehash of Big Mistake No. 4.”
- Derrick Rose is ahead of schedule in his rehab from surgery: “Cole also brushed aside speculation that Rose has had a setback in the process.”Nothing could be further from the truth,” Cole said. “He’s ahead of schedule. [The rehab] is a way to keep things fresh for Derrick, to help give him some variety.”
- Raymond Felton sure sounded like a player who didn’t enjoy his time in Portland and is on his way out: “I’m a free agent so maybe those bloggers and those people who write won’t have to see me again. Maybe they won’t, until I’m coming in on the other end and droppin’ 50 on ’em.”
Stephen Curry hopes to start basketball activities again in August after having another ankle surgery: “I hope to be cleared in August sometime to resume full workouts,” he said at a launch event for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. “And then after that, it’s just getting back into shape, skill work and that kind of stuff to get ready. So I’ll have two months to get ready for training camp, and then I hope to have a normal year.”
- Alonzo Gee is a restricted free agent, and the Cavaliers plan on re-signing him: “Cavaliers forward Alonzo Gee is considered among that group following his best season as a pro. But Gee is a restricted free agent, giving the Cavs an opportunity to match any offer he might receive from another team. And that is exactly what they plan to do, according to several league sources familiar with the Cavs’ thinking.”
- Charles Barkley ripped the Miami Heat fans again in a radio interview, from Royce Young: “I wish [LeBron] had stayed in Cleveland, because those fans in Cleveland, man, they’re fantastic. They don’t even have real fans here in Miami, they’re front-runners.”
For Marquis Teague interview, click here.
For LeBron James’ condition and the burning of Kevin Durant’s jersey, click here.
For all blog items, click here.