NBA News for June 22: Doc to the Clippers is really, truly dead (apparently); Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard are text buddies

With CP3 unhappy with the way things have unfolded, will he look to go elsewhere this offseason? Marc Stein of ESPN.com thinks it’s unlikely, and said so in a recent Dallas radio interview: “Even if the Clippers fail in getting just Doc Rivers on his own, I just don’t see Chris Paul leaving Los Angeles. There are just too many whispers that the Clippers, or at least Los Angeles itself, has too many advantages, too many things that appeal to Chris Paul for him to force his way out immediately. Someone who’s pretty close to that thing has been telling me for a while now … if Chris Paul is really unhappy in Los Angeles down the road, he’ll force his way out after he re-signs for the five-year max.” (I strongly disagree-CS)

The other big free agent is, of course, Dwight Howard, and as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes, the recruiting efforts are in full swing: “Rockets players have a thread that allows them to share text messages as a group this offseason. Parsons, however, added a separate thought for Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard, the Rockets’ primary free-agent target. “After watching that last night,” Parsons said, “I hit him with, ‘Come to Houston. That could be us.’ ” That wasn’t anything new for Howard. He has heard plenty from Parsons this offseason. “I talk to Dwight every day,” Parsons said. “I’ve created a relationship with him, where I feel like we’re very close. He hits me up about everything. I’ve covered pretty much every question he’s had. I basically tell him, ‘We have a chance to be really good without you next year. We’re going to have a good season. Why not come and join us, join our core guys who are for sure to be here and make us great, make us contend for a championship?’ That’s the main point I’ve gotten from talking to him. He wants to win. He wants to win rings. It’s obvious there is no better fit, no better team or opportunity to do that than with us.” “

The Lakers, of course, still want Howard back. Dave McMenamin of the Los Angeles Times writes: “Meanwhile, the Lakers are waiting to see if Dwight Howard re-signs as a free agent in July. “It’s a big summer for us. We don’t know what direction we’re going yet but one thing I know about the Laker organization is that they’re very committed to making sure that we have a team that’s on the floor that’s a competitive team to win a championship,” said Bryant. “Which direction that’s going to be, whether it’s with Dwight or not? I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.” If Howard returns and with the addition of some youth, length and defensive ability on the perimeter, Bryant is confident the Lakers can compete next year. “We need a couple of younger legs, long guys that can defend and can cover the floor on the perimeter,” he said. “If we do that, I think we’ll be all right.” “

In the Brazilian interview, Kobe reveals he has consulted with David Beckham (who he calls “Becks”) about his Achilles tear for advice

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 22, 2013

Here’s Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post on one of the less-visible Heat players: “At the beginning of March, Juwan Howard wasn’t even on the team. Everybody assumed that at 40 years old, his playing days were over. Then the phone rang. “There were times when I was about to shut it down and the organization of course talked to me,” Howard says. “It was like, ‘Keep those options open because we’d love to bring you back.’ So I just worked out occasionally and I just made sure I did not let myself get too out of shape.” The stats say Howard played a minimal role, but teammates credit his fiery halftime speech at halftime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. “Everyone is talking about what I did during that halftime speech, but honestly, I just spoke from the heart,” Howard says. “My teammates took it like men. No one took it personally. They knew it was from the right place, from the heart, and they went out and did their job as far as going out there and performing.” Arison: “Juwan Howard didn’t play a minute of the playoffs, but he played a big role because he’s a quality guy they respect. When Juwan talks, they all listen.” So what if the phone rings next spring? “If it’s the Miami Heat,” Howard says, “I gotta pick up.” “

Fun story from Darren Rovell of ESPN.com on how the Heat celebrated after winning the championship, and how they got $100,000 of champagne for free, a courtesy not extended to visiting teams: “(Nightclub owner David Grutman) didn’t treat the Dallas Mavericks the same way. Mavs owner Mark Cuban had to pay for the bill when his team beat the Heat in the 2011 Finals. LIV charged Cuban $90,000 for a 15-liter bottle of Armand de Brignac champagne, also known as Ace of Spades. Cuban didn’t seem to mind; he still left a 22 percent tip. “We were in the back because his credit card was denied,” Grutman recalled. “So he called up the people at the Centurion Card and said, ‘This is Mark Cuban. We just won the championship. Can I please spend some money?'” Grutman said the purchase by the billionaire then was authorized.”

Pop indicates no qualms about bringing back bulk of same team that came within 5.2 seconds of an NBA championship.

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) June 22, 2013

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Dan Malone just finished his third year as a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.