Kobe Bryant is aiming to play in the season opener, from Mark Medina of Daily News: “After rehabbing his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon for the past five months, Bryant expressed his sharpest level of optimism that he will return for the Lakers’ season opener Oct. 29 against the Clippers at Staples Center. “Now it’s about cutting the recovery time, I should be OK [for the start of the season],” Bryant said in an interview with The National, a website in Dubai… Bryant’s currently over there as part of his Health & Fitness Weekend aimed to address diabetic issues. Although he plans to return to Los Angeles for when Lakers begin training camp on Saturday, Bryant won’t participate in at least the early portions of it… “Its’ going well. It’s going really really good,” Bryant said in an interview with a Yahoo! affiliate in Dubai. “I’m feeling strong and doing a little bit of jogging. That’s a really good sign. They should know in this season when I come back that I’ll be ready.”
Did Ray Allen travel while hitting that incredible 3-pointer in Game 6 of the NBA Finals? The answer is no, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN: “On Thursday, the league invited some members of the media to look at some of the work the officials have been doing and discuss minor rule changes and adjustments. One thing that came up was Allen’s huge shot. Was it or wasn’t it a travel? The answer from the best in the world was definitive: No… The subjective issue is the gather. Allen was moving backward and it appears when his hand first touched Bosh’s pass, Allen had a foot on the ground. However, under the officials’ judgment, Allen did not have possession and had not completed the “gather” when that occurred. Once Allen had corralled the ball, he did indeed take another one step back behind the 3-point line and then his last step to position himself to shoot before letting the ball go. Gather while moving back, then two steps, then the shot, officials say.”
Dwyane Wade addressed his reaction to Kevin Durant’s opinion of him. Well, sort of. Shandel Richardson of Sun Sentinel has the story: “Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade already offered his response on Twitter. And he wanted to leave it at that regarding his recent rift with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. Wade hosted “A Night on the RunWade” Thursday at The Moore Building in downtown Miami, but wanted to keep the focus on fashion instead of Durant’s recent comments. The event raised money for Wade’s World Foundation.“Everyone has their opinion,” Wade said. “We’re in the age now where everyone uses their opinion. That was it. He (Durant) had an opinion. I had a response and there you have it.”
James Harden believes the beef between Durant and Wade is legit, from Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel: “In an interview with Comcast SportsNet in Houston, Rockets shooting guard James Harden said he believes Durant was being forthright and sincere in his war of words with Wade regarding Harden’s place in the NBA’s hierarchy at shooting guard. Yes, Harden believes the feud is legit. “I think they are. They are,” he said. “And that’s how K.D. feels. We’ve been teammates for a couple of years now. I was coming off the bench [in Oklahoma City], which was my decision, so I didn’t really get as much credit, or what not, as everyone else, as every other shooting guard or guard in the league. “Like I said, now I’m in kind of my own situation, so I’m starting to get a little more recognition or what not. But that’s how K.D. felt. He felt that way.”
Isaiah Thomas is hoping to fight for the starting point guard role, from Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld: “Hopefully the position will be up for competition,” Thomas told HOOPSWORLD in a phone interview. “If it is, I’m going to be battling each and every practice, each and every workout, whatever. At the end of the day, we are teammates – myself, Greivis Vasquez, Ray McCallum and Jimmer Fredette – we’re teammates, but at the same time we’re competing too. At the end of the day, this a competition and I am going for that starting spot because I do feel like I’m a starting point guard in this league. I think the competition is going to make each of us better and make sure we’re competing every day in practice. We’re going to work hard. “Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, I can’t control that. I can only control me going out there and doing the best that I possibly can – giving it my all each and every night, each and every practice. I’m just going to be me. No matter what, whenever I step out onto that court, I’m going to be me and nobody’s going to take that from me.”- Thomas believes he can be one of the top point guards in the league : “When given the opportunity, I can turn some heads and be one of the top point guards in the NBA,” Thomas said. “That’s just the confidence that I have in myself and because of all the hard work I put in each and every morning, each and every night and everything else. I feel like I can have a breakout year, but with the NBA it’s all about opportunity. If given that opportunity, a lot of people can play at a high level. I’m going to keep working and hopefully show the world what I’m all about. … Once I got an opportunity, I just took it and ran with it. I put the work in, so I believe I have enough ability to be one of the best point guards in the NBA. I’m not saying it’s going to happen overnight, but with the work I’m putting in, I can compete at a high level each and every night when given the opportunity. I think my ceiling is to the sky.” “With the work I’ve been putting in, I think I could be one of the best little guys ever to do it, honestly,” Thomas said.”
Chris Bosh says thinking about the future of the Miami Heat will cause him to play poorly, from Richardson of Sun Sentinel: ““Everybody wants to know what we’re going to do (after the season),” Bosh said. “Yeah, I get it. Everything depends on this season. If we win, cool. If we lose, that’s when it’s like `What if?’” “You think about it but I’m mature enough to know that if I really start to think about it, I’m going to start playing bad,” Bosh said. “Things aren’t going to go right. I’m just going to enjoy today. I’m looking forward to having a big year this year. That’s all I think about. In Toronto, it kind of messed me up. I was thinking, `What is going to happen [in the offseason]? I started struggling and then I snapped back into basketball.”… “It’s on,” Bosh said. “My family enjoys it here. I enjoy it here. It’s playing basketball in Miami. It’s just the best. I think all those intangibles speak for themselves. We’re really looking forward to just keeping it going.”
Howard also had a torn labrum last season. Never heard how he got better and avoided surgery. I assume it was the Acupuncture (with Electric Stimulation), treatment that he was receiving. He’s tweeted photos in past season. Perhaps Kobe has been doing the same.
Knicks should sign Lamar Odom so that MWP and JR Smith could have a friend in the locker room.