Doc Rivers didn’t like the way the Lakers treated Phil Jackson, according to Eric Pincus of Los Angeles Times: “I didn’t like the way it was done,” said Rivers. “I don’t think you embarrass anybody.” After relieving Mike Brown of his coaching duties, the Lakers had initial talks with Jackson. While the team’s former coach (and 11-time NBA champion) was mulling over the possibilities, the Lakers instead hired Mike D’Antoni for the job. “Whether you like Phil or not, he’s won a lot of titles and I think he was owed more than that treatment, in my opinion, especially [from] that franchise,” continued Rivers.
Zach Randolph explained why Kendrick Perkins was jawing at Marc Gasol when the two teams played last week, from Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: “Q: But it appeared to me Perkins wasn’t talking to you. He was talking to Marc (Gasol), right? A: Well, you know, when you’re talking to Marc you’re talking to me. So that’s how that roll. I’m talking about on the court or off the court. You know, and that’s the same way with him. I think he got made because Marc had just came — remember that move where Marc had crossed him over at the elbow and then had pumped faked? And I said, ‘Oh my gosh. Bust his butt, Marc’ running down the court. Q: Oh, you said that to Perkins? A: (Laughs). Yeah. Q: It was pretty rough, man. He turned him inside out. A: He did. Q: So then Perkins gets mad, he starts barking and that’s when you get into it? A: Yup.”
LeBron James called Jack Taylor “Sir Jack” and hopes to watch his 138-point game, according to Tim Reynolds of The AP: “The NBA champion Miami Heat took plenty of notice of Taylor in their shootaround practice Wednesday morning, one day after the Grinnell guard scored a record 138 points in only 36 minutes of playing time against Faith Baptist Bible In Grinnell, Iowa. The Heat called their intern — the day’s designated shooter during a defensive drill for the team — “Taylor” all morning during practice, and after the session, James was among those weighing in on the significance of the feat. “It’s unbelievable, honestly,” James said. “I would like to see the game. I want to see the game… “I watched Kobe’s game when he had 81,” James said. “I watched some of the greatest games ever played when guys scored big numbers. There’s two games that I would love to see: One was Wilt, when he had 100, and this kid, I want to see him too. Sir Jack.”
[Related: NBA players go wild for Jack Taylor’s 138-point game]
Taylor’s 138-point game may sound impressive, but it’s not as impressive when you find out what it took to get him there, from Barry Petchesky of Deadspin: “The strategy was to use a full court press after a made basket, with the caveat that [the player seeking the record] would not cross into the defensive side of the court. So, after our opponents broke our press, we were essentially playing four-on-five, which enabled the other team to take quicker shots and fall into our game plan. “The rationale is to essentially trade off a quick two or more attempts at lower probability 3-point shots. Given the high pace required for the system, Grinnell shifts in five players every 30 to 45 seconds. Within each shift there is a primary shooter who will take the bulk of threes (or shots) during the shift.”
A webcam model apparently made $20,000 from James Harden, according to Chris Yuscavage of Complex Sports: “NBA players enjoy spending their free time with hot chicks. We know, we know. SHOCKER! But, apparently, they enjoy it so much that they’re helping keep the bank accounts of a few lucky young ladies afloat. One of those ladies is Jenna Shea, who took to her Twitter account recently to brag about how she pulled in a mountain of cash in one night. Terez Owens claims that the $20K in her Instagram picture came from Rockets guard James Harden. And, while we can’t confirm that, we can confirm that Jenna is making major bank right now and that she’s not afraid to reveal where it’s coming from. “I get paid by the NBA so much,” she tweeted, “I should be signed to a team #literally while u basic hoes watch from tv FOH.”
Gerald Wallace tried to get Kobe Bryant to take a critical free throw with his eyes closed, according to Stefan Bondy of Daily News: “With the game on the line Tuesday night and Kobe Bryant at the charity stripe, Wallace began jawing with the Laker great. What was Wallace talking about? “I was trying to get him to close his eyes to shoot.” Now remember, Michael Jordan is famous for hitting a free throw with his eyes closed, and we all know how much Bryant wants to be like Mike. So maybe there was a chance Bryant would play along. Turns out he would’ve – for a steep price. “I had to make a big bet,” Wallace said. “So I told him just shoot the free throws.”