- Patrick Ewing said he is happy for Jason Kidd as a former player, but was shocked to hear that the point guard was able to get the Nets coaching job so easily. See what he said on The Dan Patrick Show:
Steve Nash expects to be fully healthy by next season, from Eric Pincus of Los Angeles Times: “Steve Nash’s debut season with the Lakers proved problematic, with the veteran guard missing 32 regular-season games and most of the team’s brief postseason. Nash was out early in the year with a leg fracture. Currently he’s rehabbing hip, hamstring and back issues that limited the 39-year old guard in the Lakers’ first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs. “By the time the season comes around, I expect to be 100% and in a great position to have a great year,” Nash said on a conference call to announce the 2013 Steve Nash Foundation Showdown.”‘
Kawhi Leonard wants to become a great player, from Sam Amick of USA Today: “I’m just the same guy. … I don’t need to be a celebrity or a superstar,” Leonard told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m just playing basketball. I just want to be a great player. That’s it. That’s all I’m thinking about. If the other stuff comes, it comes, but I’m just fortunate to play in the NBA Finals and just to play basketball, period.”… “I want to be great,” he said. “I want to play against the best, and that’s what I’m doing, just going out there and being focused, just competing every possession. I really don’t think nothing of (guarding James). I know he’s a great player — the best player in the NBA right now — but I don’t know, I’m just going out there and playing as hard as I can. “If I don’t, then it’s going to just be easy for him. You don’t want to go home saying, ‘Oh, why was I so passive and scared to guard him when I could’ve been playing my hardest and just seen what happens from there.’ As long as you give your best effort, I feel like that’s all you can do.”
Magic Johnson believes the “Big 3” will be no more if the Heat lose in the Finals. He also thinks LeBron James has to play more like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan instead of himself, from Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: “No matter what happens, things have to change with this team,” Johnson said on a conference call. “Everyone has caught up to them. Teams are not afraid of them. They have adjusted to the Big 3.” Asked how losing the Finals would hurt James’ legacy, Johnson said: “It may take a little hit, but I don’t think much. What I think you may see is the end of the Big 3.”… “He has to take a more assertive role as far as scoring, especially in the [first half]. I want him to be more like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordanthan like me. This is the worst team Miami could play — they play so well together.”
- Billy King says leadership was a big reason for the hiring of Jason Kidd and isn’t worried about the risk, from Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York: “”I think really what stood out for me was his leadership,” King said. “I’ve seen that before, and you see it up close when you talk to him, just his knowledge of the game as we talked, and he was talking about different teams and their sets and how we would work with our team and how we would use our personnel in different ways. And to me, the ceiling for him is very high because he has a great work ethic and knowledge, and I think working together we can build something that can last a long time.”… “I think any time you make a hire, I think it’s a risk,” King said. “But one thing about Jason, people have counted him out a lot of times, and he’s proven them wrong. I’ve known him for a long time, and with his work ethic, I believe he’ll be good. I don’t worry about the risk.”
Festus Ezeli expects to be out for 6-9 months after undergoing knee surgery, from NBA.com: “Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli underwent successful surgery yesterday on his right knee, the team announced. The procedure, which was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, was necessary to reinforce both the medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in Ezeli’s right knee. Ezeli suffered a sprained right knee during the club’s regular-season finale this season at Portland on April 17. He will begin rehabilitation in the near future and is expected to make a complete recovery. The team’s medical staff indicates that recovery time could be a minimum of 6-9 months.”
