SH Blog: Julius Erving and Gary Payton exclude MJ in Top-Five list, Doc Rivers explains why KG joined Nets

• Doc Rivers says he is still disappointed in Danny Ainge for making it appear as if he was the one that made the decision to leave the Boston Celtics, from NESN: ““Honestly, I was very disappointed in that part of Danny’s press conference,” Rivers said while promoting a charity event to be held Wednesday at TD Garden. “Other than that, Danny and I have no issues. Danny knows, just like I know, that that’s not true.” After the Celtics released Rivers from the final three years of his contract to become head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, Ainge said: “It’s not a place that I chose for him to go or a place that I wanted him to be.” Rivers’ account of things at his introductory press conference in L.A. was very different. The Clippers make their first and only visit to Boston this season on Wednesday, Dec. 11. It will be interesting to see how Celtics fans greet the coach who brought them Banner 17 but also left them high and dry when faced with the hard work of rebuilding.”

• Rivers explained why Kevin Garnett decided to join the Brooklyn Nets, from Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York: “I just thought it was a tough one for him,” Rivers, now the coach of the Clippers, told WEEI radio in Boston Thursday. “If he has one fault as a player … he doesn’t really allow anyone to get to know him, and Kevin hates change. Hates it. [He’s] extremely loyal. At the end of the day, he felt like Paul [Pierce] was gone, I was gone, Jason Terry was leaving, and that he was doing it for the right reasons. Not necessarily that he wanted to go, he just thought this was something that [Celtics general manager] Danny [Ainge] wanted. Danny wanted to rebuild, reload and he just felt like he was doing the right thing.” “I don’t necessarily know if he wanted to go. But he went and now when you talk to him … he’s excited. He’s excited about his new team and he really believes they have a chance of knocking Miami off in the East.”

• It’s hard to tell what’s true anymore when it comes to Lamar Odom rumors, but the latest is that he has not checked into a rehab center, according to TMZ: “Lamar Odom has NOT checked himself in to rehab … sources connected to the NBAer tell TMZ. There are reports out that Lamar checked himself in … we’ve been making calls for the last day and just got what we’re told is the definitive word … he’s not there. Lamar has gone off the radar with the Kardashian family for the last few days.  Khloe — who has made it clear she will end the marriage if he doesn’t get help — has heard nothing from him.”

• Channing Frye is “98 percent” ready to resume physical activities, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: “They told me, ‘No human being is 100 percent healthy. The highest we give is a 98 percent. You are a 98 percent,’ ” Frye said. “They said, ‘We see this all the time.’ I don’t have any fear. I’m not scared to push myself and run and play and get my heart rate up. I’m just waiting on the paperwork. I’m healthy. It’s out of my hands. It’s up to the Suns and what they feel comfortable doing.”… “It’s a long process and I’m continuing to be patient,” Frye said. “This is not something to rush. I want the Suns to make the right decision. I’m 100 percent unequivocally healthy. I’m excited to get back with the team when this is resolved.”… “Why not take the time to really get myself right?” Frye said. “I could do it (play at the start of the season), but I’d be exhausted from crushing myself to get ready. I need a lot of practice hours. There should be no rush because I don’t want to rush back and get injured. Once you step on that court, everyone expects you to be 100 percent.”

• Tracy McGrady says he and Shaquille O’Neal would never have had the type of issues Kobe Bryant and Shaq had, from Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report: “If T-Mac feels that his game was comparable to Kobe’s, that must mean he believed he could have won multiple championships with Shaquille O’Neal as well. “We would have had a great run,” he said when asked about Shaq. “I don’t know how many but, I know it would have never ended like it did with he and Kobe. I have a great relationship with Shaq. We would have never clashed heads like that. Two Alpha dogs going at there will always be (something going on).”

• Kyle Lowry had somewhat of a one-on-one session with comedian Kevin Hart and suffered an embarrassing fate in the process:

 

James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.