Owners and coaches (mostly former coaches) have had some very interesting things to say about a number of different topics over the past week or so, and today was no different. The ever-vocal Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had plenty to say about his former point guard and the point guard he almost had. See what was said, along with other notable quotes from various players and coaches in today’s news:
Mark Cuban is very upset about the way Jason Kidd left the Mavericks. See just how upset he is in this article by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas: “I was more than upset,” Cuban said. “I thought he was coming. I was pissed. …“J. Kidd is a big boy; he can do whatever he wants. But you don’t change your mind like that. That was … yeah. I’m sure I’ll get over it at some point, but as of now, I wouldn’t put J. Kidd’s number in the rafters.” Kidd, whose second stint in Dallas was highlighted by him playing a key role in the franchise’s only NBA championship, agreed to sign a three-year, $9.5 million deal to stay with the Mavs, informing Cuban of his plans the morning of July 5. Those plans changed that afternoon. Kidd called Cuban, but Cuban did not take the call because he was in a Washington, D.C. museum with his family. Cuban learned later that Kidd had changed his mind and agreed to go to the Knicks for the same money. Cuban admitted that Kidd’s decision “hurt my feelings” because he thought they had developed a strong relationship and that the 39-year-old point guard was committed to the organization. “He’s a good guy, but I just thought that was wrong,” Cuban said. “You can’t put a guy’s number in the rafters when he decides he doesn’t want to be there.”
Cuban also said that he may not have been happy if the Mavericks signed Deron Williams to a contract, from Jon Machota The Dallas Morning News: “The Mavericks owner said Tuesday that the team is actually better off with Williams not on the roster. “In hindsight, I don’t know if I would have been happy,” Cuban said of inking Williams to a long-term, max-contract. “I think we’re in better position now then we would’ve been if we’d gotten him.” Wait. What? “I don’t want to pick on Deron Williams because he’s a great, great, great, great player, so it’s not necessarily him per say,” Cuban told the Ben and Skin Show on 103.3 [KESN-FM]. “Obviously the decision was to go for him. But the conversation was, ‘OK, once you take $17.1 million in salary to what we have with Dirk and [Shawn Marion], then what do you do? That’s your squad. And it’s not just your squad for this year, it’s your squad for next year, other than the $3.3 million mini mid-level [exception].”
Jason Terry hopes to see his Mavericks Jersey retired by the team, from Dwain Price of Star-Telegram: “For Jason Terry, winning an NBA title was the ultimate as far as personal team achievements are concerned. But what could happen next would be sheer euphoria. “The bow was winning the championship, but the icing on the cake will be putting that jersey up in the rafters,’’ Terry told the Star-Telegram on Monday. “If it happens, I’ll be grateful.’’ Terry was referring to the possibility of having his Dallas Maverick No. 31 jersey retired in the American Airlines Center rafters. By Terry’s estimation, he figures he made enough big shots, played enough major minutes, shed enough sweat, blood and tears, put up enough credible numbers, displayed enough leadership qualities and was such a fixture in the community to join Brad Davis and Rolando Blackman as the only Mavs players to have their jersey retired.”
In the same article, Terry also stated that he and Kidd believed Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in basketball: “We’ve got the best point guard in the NBA to me in Rajon Rondo,’’ Terry said. “Why? Because he plays both ends of the floor and he facilitates. “He gets everybody involves, but he can still go out and get his.’’ For those who are not sold on Rondo, Terry got a ringing endorsement from Jason Kidd, who left the Mavs last month to sign a three-year, $9 million free agent deal with the New York Knicks. “Jason Kidd gave him the greatest compliment I’ve ever heard from a Hall of Famer that’s still playing,’’ Terry said. “He said, ‘There’s no question Rajon Rondo is the best point guard. “ ‘Chris Paul is great. Deron Williams is great, but Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the NBA.’ ’’
Amare Stoudemire thinks the Knicks are capable of winning it all this season, and “hardly” noticed Jeremy Lin’s departure, from Zach Braziller of the New York Post: “Forget the defending NBA champion Heat and the retooled Lakers, Amar’e Stoudemire believes the Knicks can be a “top team” this year capable of winning a championship. Now that he is fully healthy, the All-Star power forward thinks he and Carmelo Anthony can thrive once they have a full training camp together. “Training camp is very, very key for us… We get full training camp, get that chemistry down, we’re going to be golden.” Stoudemire lauded the changes made by general manager Glen Grunwald, such as bringing in point guards Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton and veteran forwards Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. He said he hardly noticed Jeremy Lin’s departure to the Rockets. “I was too focused on training,” he said.”
Stan Van Gundy spoke about the possibility of Derrick Rose leaving the Chicago Bulls in the future, from Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago: ” In an era when NBA superstars pair up for the easiest path to a championship, former Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy wondered Monday if Derrick Rose will be one of the next to look for greener pastures if the Chicago Bulls don’t land another superstar or win a championship. “I think the interesting one coming up in the future is going to be Derrick Rose,” Van Gundy said on AM-740’s “The Game” in Orlando. “I think Derrick Rose is a great, great representative of our league, and he’s a great player. And he’s got good players around him, very good players around him, but if (the Bulls) can’t get another star there for him is he eventually going to look around and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to work this out on my own and I’ve got to find somehow to get somewhere else so that I will have a chance to play with another star.’ The league has changed.”
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra apparently always believed that Dwight Howard would somehow become a Laker, from Ira Winderman of SunSentinel: “Erik Spoelstra offered his thoughts today on 640Sports on the Lakers’ acquisition of Dwight Howard, “At the end of the day I think we all, eventually, thought he’d find his way to L.A., yeah, in some way or another. They have the most pieces. I’m surprised they were able to do it without giving up maybe [Pau] Gasol in that deal, but they have a history of getting those bigs. And it just seems to happen for that franchise.”
Andray Blatche called the Wizards’ decision to amnesty him a “blessing”, from Donna Ditota of The Post-Standard: “It was very tough,” Blatche said Friday. “It seemed like the Wizards had a string of bad luck with the gun situation and so on. Me getting amnesty this year wasn’t more of a hurt to me, it was more of a blessing to me. I’m looking at that as giving me a chance to go somewhere else and revive my career and become the player I used to be.”… Blatche “has worked very, very hard,” Lucas said, to whip his game into the kind of shape that would entice NBA teams to take a chance on him. Rumors have swirled about interest from the Miami Heat or the San Antonio Spurs. Blatche laughed when asked about them. “My dream destination right now would be back on the court. For real. Just to get back on the court,” he said. “It’s something I love to do. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Heat or the Spurs or the D League. Whatever. As long as I’m back on the court playing ball.”
Anthony Davis talked about how Team USA treated him like he belonged, from John Reid of The Times Picayune: “In just five months New Orlreans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis has won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA title and has already garnered respect from most of the top players in the NBA. Though he is still seven weeks away from participating in his first NBA training camp, Davis is brimming with confidence as the youngest basketball gold medalist in U.S. Olympic history. Taking advantage of his wonderful whirlwind, Davis already gained valuable experience playing alongside Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant on Team USA. “Those guys on the Olympic team treated me like I belonged and it boosted my confidence,” Davis said this past weekend from New York where he was participating in the NBA’s rookie transition program. “When I got in games, I felt more confidence. They talked to me and told me what to do, so it definitely was great.”
- The Hornets will be under Monty Williams’ control for the foreseeable future now that the coach has signed a long-term contract, from Hoops World: “Hornets coach Monty Williams has agreed to a four-year contract extension that would keep him in New Orleans through 2016. The deal announced by the club Sunday morning comes as the 40-year-old Williams heads into the final year of the contract he received when he took his first NBA head coaching job in New Orleans in 2010. The Hornets did not release contract terms, but Williams confirmed the length of the extension in a text message to The Associated Press.
Jazz forward Derrick Favors is ready to play more minutes whether he starts or comes off the bench, from Jody Genessy of Deseret News: “He literally wants his time to get here sooner rather than later. “I want to play more than what I played last year,” Favors admitted. “If it’s starting, cool. If it’s coming off the bench, cool. I don’t mind. I just want to play more. I don’t want to sit on the bench no more.” That’s where Corbin’s tough choice comes into play. In order for Favors to flourish as well as learn from floundering at times, he needs more than the 20.4 minutes he averaged his first two seasons.”
- Here is a video of Metta World Peace being goofy in a children’s television show called “Yo Gabba Gabba”.
Mikhail Prokhorov calls James Dolan “that little man”