What was Kobe Bryant’s pitch to Howard? Woj has the answer: “When Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant spoke to Dwight Howard on Tuesday, his words to the free-agent center resounded an unmistakable and unflinching message: Let me teach you how to be a champion. “You need to learn how it’s done first, and I can teach you here,” Bryant told Howard during the Lakers’ presentation, witnesses in the room described to Yahoo! Sports… “You have to learn how it’s done,” Bryant told Howard, witnesses described. “I know how to do it and I’ve learned from the best – players who have won multiple times over and over.” “Instead of trying to do things your way, just listen and learn and tweak it, so it fits you,” Bryant told him.”
So what was the Houston Rockets pitch to Howard, then? Sam Amick of USA Today has the scoop: “According to two people with knowledge of the situation, the Rockets’ Monday meeting with free agent forward Josh Smith in Los Angeles included a discussion about a possible partnership with him and his childhood friend from Atlanta in Howard. Smith has long been known to be on the Rockets’ radar, but he is not viewed solely as a backup plan to Howard should he decide to sign elsewhere and the possibility remains of another superteam being created with Howard and Smith joining franchise centerpiece James Harden.”
Howard and the Rockets also discussed whether the center will be involved when it comes to player transactions. Morey also turned down a report that claimed the team was looking to move Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, from Jonathan Feigen of Houston Chronicle: “He’s focused on winning. He wants to be involved in process like all stars have, including James (Harden). To say he said any names is absolutely not true. He wants the best team possible and is interested in how we plan to do that. “Both with Omer and Jeremy, we feel like they’re good fits for Dwight. Omer with Dwight would give us the best (centers) in the league in combination. Jeremy is an attacking guard, great in pick-and-roll, a great fit for Dwight. Dwight works great with shooting and attacking guards. Harden is great at both. That’s why he’s an All Star.”
Brad Stevens will be the new head coach of the Celtics, according to Celtics.com: “The Boston Celtics announced today that they have come to an agreement with Brad Stevens to be the 17th head coach of the team. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. Stevens, age 36, has served for the past six years as the head coach of Butler University, never winning fewer than 22 games and leading the Bulldogs to two national championship games against Duke and Connecticut. He was the youngest coach to reach the Final Four since Bob Knight in 1973.”
The Bucks are looking to sign O.J. Mayo, according to Woj: “Free agent guard O.J. Mayo is closing in on a multiyear contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The deal could be completed as soon as today, league sources said. Mayo, 25, would be a replacement for the loss of guard J.J. Redick and the expected departure of Monta Ellis. Mayo averaged 15.3 points and 4.4 assists for the Dallas Mavericks last season.
Derrick Rose opened up to Bulls.com about why he had to be selfish this past season. ESPN Chicago has the transcript: “It was hard,” Rose said of missing the season. “One of the hardest things I’ve had to go through in my life. After surgery, when you start running … when you have an injury like this, there is stages you have to go through, I’m still going through my stages. I’m not done yet, but this is the most I’ve ever worked on my craft and the most focused I’ve ever been in my NBA career. “I’m not a selfish guy at all, but having this injury and going through what I had to go through and being smart, it’s something that I had to be selfish with. I couldn’t worry about anyone else but myself and my health.”
Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld explained how the Warriors drew the interest of Howard: “Howard had watched their upset of the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and their hard-fought series against the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. He was impressed by the electrifying team that was led by Stephen Curry. The Warriors had expressed interest in Howard before, and he decided to give them a chance to make their pitch. He believed that their best basketball was ahead of them and that they were only a piece away from contending. The fact that they had plenty of young assets to offer in a potential sign-and-trade – such as Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes – also made them an interesting possibility.”
Danny Ferry. Different franchise, exact same incompetent moron. A 32-year-old, limited skills white guy like Kyle Korver, tie him up for four years and $24 million. Korver will sure come in real handy while they’re in the lottery and losing 50 to 60 games every year.