If all goes right, John Wall may make his debut on Saturday, according to Michael Lee of Washington Post: “Wall is edging closer to putting on his No. 2 jersey soon and said that he plans to be back on the court against Atlanta on Saturday if he doesn’t have any setbacks in practice. He returned to practice last week and said that he hasn’t had any complications moving around as he did before. “I’m good, I’m just tired right now,” Wall said. “I’m just working my way back in shape and just excited and happy to be back out there with my teammates and go through a full practice without no pain and just see how I feel. Hopefully everything will keep going well so I can be back out there with my team on Saturday.”… “I’m even more motivated because I had to sit out so long,” he said. “God just tested me, and things happen for a reason, and I’m just sitting back and taking my time.”
Doc Rivers denied reports of what Kevin Garnett may have said to Carmelo Anthony, from Greg Payne of ESPN New York: “Well, No. 1, I know what’s been reported did not happen,” Rivers said adamantly during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. “I know that as a fact.” Pressed further on Garnett’s rumored remarks, Rivers said: “That did not happen.”… “Guys, you know how this works,” Rivers said. “A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, ‘Well, he said this.’ It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn’t have been made into one.”… “It’s pretty crude, I can tell you,” Rivers said. “Out there at times, you hear some crazy stuff. But when it gets racial or personal to family, then that crosses the line. But I’m going to say it again: In this case, that didn’t happen. “(Garnett) does (know where the line is). He does. I will say that. I’ve never heard him cross the line. And usually when he talks about guys, it’s usually about their game or their team or what he thinks if the guy’s a winner or loser.”
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Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler shared his thoughts on what happened between Anthony and Garnett, from Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews: “If he thinks Kevin Garnett crossed the line with Carmelo Anthony: “I think it was a little too much in all honesty. I felt like Melo just wanted to have a conversation man-to-man and I can respect that.” If crossing the line can happen during the course of games considering all the trash-talk: “Absolutely. You can definitely cross the line in sports. There are certain things that are said on the court that is basketball chatter and then other things that should always be left off.” If Garnett is known as a guy that crosses the line too often: “I’m not sure. I guess it all depends on who you ask the question to.” If Anthony was bothered more by losing or the comments made by Garnett: “In all honesty I can’t answer that question because I don’t know. I don’t even know what was said because I wasn’t there when it all happened. I know one thing, Melo doesn’t get easily agitated and people don’t get under his skin that easily so obviously whatever was said, it must’ve been something.”
Tyreke Evans admits approaching rehab with caution due to contract situation and says he will be okay whether the Kings trade him or not, from Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: “Without issuing any trade demands – that’s not his style – Evans said he would be neither shocked nor devastated if he were sent elsewhere before the Feb. 21 deadline. No tears. No fuss. No regrets. No more pain. That’s his main deal. “The Kings need to do whatever they can to help the team win,” said Evans, who played Monday after missing 11 games with soreness in his left knee. “I just want to go out there and play every night. That visit to (Lombardo)? That let me know that I wasn’t totally wrong. I just need to get treated right. That was pretty much it.”… Asked whether he wanted to remain with the Kings or welcomed a trade, the soft-spoken Evans sounded receptive to either outcome. In a surprising admission, he also said his uncertain contract status led him to approach rehabilitation with unusual caution. “Definitely,” he said, forcefully. “That’s why I sat out so many games. I wasn’t going to come back until I was ready, near 100 percent. You have to think about that. But the knee feels good now, it doesn’t hurt. I just want to get back out there and start playing like I can.”
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From fibaeurope.com
Marcin Gortat says he won’t request a trade because he doesn’t like the escape route, from Jessica Camerato of CSNNE: “”Basically I just don’t want to feel like a loser and escape,” he told CSNNE.com. “The team needs you and then all of a sudden you escape because you said you wanted to be traded or you asked for a trade? It’s not like that… “Right now I feel like it’s hard to leave this sinking boat, you know what I mean, just go to a different team and escape from everything,” he said. “I started with this team in training camp. I’ve been here for three years right now. This is my third year and basically I’m trying to help this team, help this team as much as I can. That’s the main goal, but I learned also that this is business. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen.” Gortat said his parents taught him not to run from his problems growing up in Poland. “I’ve never escaped in my entire life from anything like that,” he said. “I never took any shortcuts. Basically I’m just going to try to play and help my team as much as I can.”
Jerry Stackhouse once beat up Kirk Snyder after a game, according to Jonathan Abrams of Grantland (via Trey Kerby of TBJ): “That first Dallas season also featured the defining Jerry Stackhouse, Tough Guy story. It happened after Utah rookie Kirk Snyder took a cheap shot at him under the basket during a game. Stackhouse retaliated with one of his own. Both men thought they were even. Nope. They bumped into each other a few plays later and … well, Stackhouse can explain the rest. “Boom, he punched me in the stomach with an open fist,” Stackhouse said, incredulously. “I was like, ‘OK, I can go crazy right now and get suspended for two or three games and lose this money.’ The smart side of me said, ‘No, I’m not going to do that. But I’m going to get this boy.’ You don’t put your hands on me. I can deal with a lot of verbal stuff and wolfing and all that, but you put your hands on me, no. And I thought I had cleaned it up, but obviously I hadn’t.” When the game ended, Stackhouse recalls asking the training staff for a warm-up suit, then waiting on the docks where Utah’s bus would depart. “I ain’t even shower,” Stackhouse recalls. “I put on some sweats, some sneakers, and I went and stood in the tunnel. As soon as [Snyder] came out, I fired on him. I got in a couple. That was it. I don’t know where all these security people came from. It probably lasted 20 seconds. Everybody pulled me off and that was it.”
- Watch NBA referee Bill Kennedy get caught explaining why he was stalling the game between Lakers and Spurs:
Garnett allegedly said Anthony’s wife tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios