Kenneth Faried genuinely dislikes the Portland Trailblazers. Jason Quick of the Oregonian details the power forward’s anger: “I ain’t going to lie to you: I don’t like them,’’ Faried told The Oregonian this week in Denver. “I think it’s disrespectful what they did, got my hopes up for nothing. Every time we play them, it’s a little extra motivation for me to come out and show them what they missed.’’… “They said if I was there at 21, they would draft me. They said they were hoping I was there,’’ Faried said. “But when the time came around … I mean, their front office and coaches decided to go the opposite way. I just took it as extra motivation. I remember saying, ‘If they don’t want to draft me, that’s their loss.’’
O.J. Mayo admitted he doesn’t have a whole lot of positive feelings towards the Grizzlies, from Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas: “Going back to a former team that you had some mishaps between the two parties, that’s the way it goes,” Mayo said. “You obviously want to go back and kick their butts. They want to kick your butt to show that you’re not needed, whatever the case may be.”… “Once you see the writing on the wall, you can’t be dumb to the fact,” said Mayo, who didn’t have any discussions with Memphis while he was a free agent. “I didn’t even go to the exit meeting. I pretty much knew what it was.”… “Management did what they felt was best for the team,” Mayo said, “and it looks like it’s working out for them.”… “How would you feel? How would you feel?” Mayo said. “It’s going to be fun, I think so. (Expletive), it’s going to be fun.”
Eric Gordon was adamant about wanting to leave the Hornets over the summer. He explained the reasons behind what he said, from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports: “”Of course I did [regret it],” Gordon said. “But that was the only way to push the table on the Hornets. To get a deal done I was willing to negotiate. My agent and I were going through negotiations with them. But they weren’t leaning into really giving me one. So I had to ride with Phoenix and from Day 1 they weren’t playing games.”… “Of course, I like New Orleans. I just want to make sure things are on the right track now. The team is having a terrible year so far …”I just got to see the overall picture of what the future is going to be like. We can be possibly good. But it’s going to be a long venture. I have no concerns about the city.”
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From fibaeurope.com
Marcin Gortat said for a while, he lost the hunger for the game of basketball. Sarah McLellan of Arizona Republic has details: “I think I lost the hunger of the game,” Gortat said. “I wasn’t hungry enough to go and get it just like I used to do. I definitely felt that… I have a feeling like I’m getting there,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m 100 percent back. I’ll be back if I’m constantly going to start getting minimum 10 (points) and 10 (rebounds). Right now, it doesn’t look like it. “I was in a big black hole. I ain’t gonna lie. There was just a bad stretch of games where I didn’t perform at all, and I didn’t know the reason. But I’m obviously trying to play better. Hopefully, I’m going to continue to play like that. That’s the only thing I can do, just keep fighting every day and work hard.”
Russell Westbrook is interested in the slam dunk contest, but he may or may not participate this season, from Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: “The slam dunk contest at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend could have one of the game’s most explosive athletes participating. Russell Westbrook on Thursday expressed his interest in someday joining the field but said he wasn’t sure if he will participate in Houston this year. “It’s up in the air,” Westbrook said about this year’s dunk competition. “I would (like to) before it’s too late. But I don’t know where I’m going to feel like doing it or not.”
Magic Johnson explained why the Knicks beating the Heat twice this season doesn’t mean anything, from Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel: “It doesn’t mean anything. Because the only time it means something is when it’s in the playoffs. “So you have to remember, we got beat by San Antonio, I think they beat us every game one year [during the regular season] and we faced them in the playoffs, and then we swept them. You know, we were up. So we were ready for them, you know. “So we have to remember, it doesn’t mean anything. It means more to the Knicks than it really does for the Heat. But also, the Heat know that they do have serious competition, though, and this team is for real. The Knicks are for real.”
Kobe Bryant may apparently be interested in becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, according to Ric Bucher: “Someone who knows Kobe Bryant well suggests that he has turned his attention from making his case as the NBA’s all-time greatest player by surpassing Michael Jordan in championships to finishing his career as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The reason? He has a better shot at success. It’s not that Kobe won’t, or can’t, win another ring, but the odds are tilting heavily against him, particularly when it comes to using it as a testament to his all-time greatness. He currently has five titles to his name while Jordan has six, but Bryant can say he made it to the Finals seven times.”
Dwyane Wade believes the Mavericks are going through a rebuilding phase, from Jeff Caplan of NBA.com: “You understand that certain teams in the league, you have to rebuild,” Wade said after Thursday night’s 110-95 destruction of Cuban’s Mavs that look nothing like the 2011 champs that beat the Heat. “They unfortunately weren’t able to keep their championship team together and they’re just in a rebuilding stage, but they got some good pieces.”
Tom Thibodeau says everything is going according to plan with Derrick Rose, from ESPN Chicago: “He’s right on schedule,” Thibodeau said on “Mike & Mike In The Morning” on ESPN Radio. “He’s not ahead of schedule. He’s not behind. We have to be patient. It’s the type of injury that you have to take your time with, and when he’s ready to come back, he’ll be ready to come back. There is no time scheduled for it.”… “He’s doing a lot, but he hasn’t done anything with contact,” Thibodeau said. “So we’re going to go step by step. First he has to get into practice and he has to practice well for a while. And then we’ll move on from there. “Hopefully at some point during the second half of the season he’ll rejoin us.”
D’Alessandro rips Deron Williams
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