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[Random Musings] What I heard about KD, Melo, Pau Gasol, etc.

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by steddinotayto, Jan 28, 2015.

  1. steddinotayto

    steddinotayto Contributing Member

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    I'd like to preface by saying I'm NOT an insider and have never established a newsletter for insider information.

    That being said, I had a pretty interesting conversation with a former college basketball player today at my job. It was a good 30-40 minute conversation about current and former NBA players and I thought I would pass it along to my brothers and sisters here:

    -This person used to play with Derek Fisher in college at Arkansas-Little Rock (I verified his name and ID HERE) and still talks to Fisher to this very day. He used to play overseas basketball and had a couple of years in Mexico City. He also speaks to Jason Terry on a regular basis and met him when he used to play for the Mavericks.

    -Durant: Word is that Durant feels slighted...betrayed was the word he used...about what OKC is doing (or not doing). He said Durant re-signing with OKC isn't a lock because of how the city has been treating him lately. What's surprising to me was that he mentioned a tight friendship Durant had with LeBron and how that friendship is making him re-evaluate his future with OKC, much like how LeBron did with Cleveland the first go around. I asked if he could see Durant going back home and play for the Wizards and he just said Durant is looking for a big market team and where he can be the #1 guy. He said he wouldn't be surprised to see Durant in Lakers Purple and Gold. I mentioned Houston and he said yea that could be a possibility. I kind of threw out "It just looks like Durant has a better and closer relationship with Harden than with Westbrook" and he just gave me a smirk and said "could be the case".

    -Scott Brooks: With the Durant convo I mentioned how I don't think OKC did Durant any favors by keeping Brooks and not going after a better coach. He said that Brooks, from Fisher's time with OKC, is very business savvy and knows the end could be near. That's why Brooks has been very apathetic with his answers to reporters regarding Durant's future because his own future with OKC is questionable.

    -Melo: I asked him if Fisher has told him anything regard Melo and he simply stated: "Once Fisher can get players that will play and give him 100%, he'll be fine." I asked him if Melo is that player and he flat out said no. To paraphrase: "Melo is not a winner; he's a money player. Now I'm not knocking him for taking that Knicks money because I would have too but you're not going to win with Melo".

    -Iverson: Iverson came up when we were discussing players that end up broke after making millions and one story he told me was about how Fat Joe bought Iverson's house and found in one of the closets 100 pairs of jeans, each with $5,000 in cash still left in the pocket. When Fat Joe said he would give the money back, Iverson said "No you bought the house, that's yours now". Thought that was pretty funny.

    -Antoine Walker: Speaking of being broke, this guy told me he knows 'Toine and used to hang out with him a lot and that if 'Toine needed anything that this guy would give it to him if he could. Said Walker was one of the most generous and nicest guys you can meet. We both agreed that that's why Walker lost all those millions he made.

    -Pau Gasol: Speaking of NOT being broke, he said Pau is one of those most frugal players he's ever met. To paraphrase: "This guy will not spend his money unless it's going to financially benefit him to do so. I know guys that will spend $35K a month...Pau, he will spend probably $1600 a month". Said/confirmed that Pau is a very smart guy.

    -Dwight Howard: Howard came up in a conversation about the Mavericks and the Rockets and he said some things that aren't all that surprising. He said Howard's lack of having a mentor when he jumped right out of high school probably kept him from being an all-time great. His focus on being a "good christian" and making that a part of his persona during his first couple of seasons definitely rubbed a lot of players in the league the wrong way. Then having kids with different women had a lot of those same players laughing and not taking Howard seriously. He said Howard didn't want to make himself this whole "good christian kid" and only wanted to say the right things that his father would have wanted him to say. He also went into discussing what most of us already knew--for all of Howard's physical abilities, that drive to do better and practice more to improve his weaknesses was definitely lacking.

    All this is to be taken with a grain of salt of course but I don't think any of it is a surprise. I just think it's kinda cool to speak to someone that's--I guess--a part of the inner circle.
     
    17 people like this.
  2. Junkyard Dog

    Junkyard Dog Member

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    Cool story. Thanks for sharing.
     
  3. IndianPlaya

    IndianPlaya Contributing Member

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    Agreed. Cool story.
     
  4. ThatBoyNick

    ThatBoyNick Member

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    Story cool bro. Thanks for sharing, very interesting!
     
  5. sugrlndkid

    sugrlndkid Member

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    side note on Pau... Gasol dropped out of medical school to play ball..the dude is a smart guy
     
  6. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    So, who was this guy? Too lazy to play detective right now :p

    And are you in Houston? If not, did he know you were a Rockets fan?
     
  7. basketballholic

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    Everything on Dwight there is true. Other people that spend a lot of time around him say the same.

    I think Melo could win...if he were the second or third best player on his team.
     
  8. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

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    Repped. Very interesting.

    For some reason I just can't see Durant leaving OKC and dealing with the backlash. It wouldn't be Lebron-esque, but I feel like he'd get some shade thrown his way.

    If he goes to the Lakers, that's pretty weak. I guess I don't know what LAL will look like in 2016, but if he bails on OKC to go to LAL when it appears they're much further from competing, that kind of looks bad on KD in my opinion. Definitely would give off a diva vibe. At least Lebron left because he knew he'd be title-bound in Miami with Wade and Bosh.
     
  9. awc713

    awc713 Member

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    I won't be that surprised if the bolts for LAL.

    Outside of Westbrook, OKC's roster isn't that great. They mishandled a championship roster because they were cheap, and Durant knows it. LAL is shaky now, but 2 years is a lot of time for roster turnover. Randle looked great in college, and they're bound for another top pick or two, plus LAL may bring in some big names this off season.
     
  10. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    Something to consider....Durant knows now that Houston can't even vote Harden in as a starter, even with an MVP year. If he wants to be the #1 guy and a a big name, money, etc...LA is a no brainer. Houston wouldn't even be on his radar.
     
  11. joeson332

    joeson332 Member

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    holy crap nice
     
  12. Nick_713

    Nick_713 Member

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    Really good post...Repped!
     
  13. basketballholic

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    Yeah that explains Yao being voted in over Shaq. :rolleyes:
     
  14. joeson332

    joeson332 Member

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    because starting in the All Star game in the most important thing in an NBA season rather than competing for a championship like they are in LA right now...........................
     
  15. DudeWah

    DudeWah Member

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    Thats probably very very low on the list of things to consider. It's not as if Durant is playing in some big market. Okc is a ****ty city to be in from every aspect. Also Harden was starter last year.

    Wherever KD goes (or doesn't go) will probably have more to do with establishing a legacy and cementing his brand name.
     
  16. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    I would think you're smarter than that. There's an obvious explanation for that...


    I hate to say it, but being a Laker helps there a lot more than being a Rocket.

    Assuming LA has space, it'll be easier to get players around him there than here. And then there's the Dwight issue..
     
  17. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    I wonder if the dude was making a lot of it up because Iverson is not broke. That's been reported several times. He had a friend stash a lot of his money away in a way that gives him regular income which he can't take out as a lump sum. Sounds pretty smart to me.

    Sounds pretty ridiculous that someone would have dozens of pairs of jeans stuffed with $5,000 stacks when he can just carry a credit card and show off his cash on occasions where he'd like to.

    Also Howard has always worked on his game. He came into the league a skinny teenager and 3 years later he was built like a tank. That's work, and it's productive work. He also notoriously spent lots of time with Otis Smith, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin McHale and IIRC Kareem Abdul Jabbar working on his inside game. He had a couple of seasons where he tried working on his jumper to no avail. He hits over 80% of his FT's in practice, so it's clear his FT shooting woes are not for his lack of working on them in practice. Doesn't seem likely that the guy goes out of his way to work with Hakeem after 10+ seasons in the league and he is not interested in improving his game. Or that he would radically change his diet and re-work his physique with experts all while being disinterested in improving.

    Just to be clear, I'm not saying you're being dishonest, I just think it may be common for players who never really made it to exaggerate their ties to those who did make it. Very entertaining stories though, thanks for taking the time to relay what you heard!
     
  18. JayGoogle

    JayGoogle Member

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    That's not really fair though, Kobe gets in not because of the USA vote but the China vote.

    Yao got in all the time, just like Kobe. It just happens that Kobe is more of an international star than Harden, that's all. Harden will get there as he plays more years. He wasn't even that far behind Kobe and finished 3rd.

    People really underestimate Houston as a city, yet we continue to get star players to come here and stay here. If Durant FA comes down between Houston and LA, we will win. Especially with the Harden factor at play.

    That big name and big money stuff is always over played. Every game is televised. This is the same stuff people said about Dwight, and I bet Durant wants to win as much as Dwight does.

    I bet it'll be more between Washington and Houston as those two teams give him a better chance to win and in a pretty good market any ways. The Lakers will continue to be a mismanaged mess like the Knicks and any superstar that goes there will deserve what they get any ways.
     
  19. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    Kareem on Dwight, just a year ago:

    I think the point is Dwight doesn't go beyond just "putting in work".....you can go to school and just do what the teacher tells you, but you can also go home and do more, if that's how good you want to be at it. I think he's willing to say all the right things and show up to what the Rockets and his people set up, but not much more than that. If you want to be great though, there's a lot more work to do and not just on the court or the gym.
     
  20. downbytheriver

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    Yeah, he's definitely trying to be cool by talking about things he doesn't know - in regards to KD atleast. It's cool he's pretending to be connected but he'll probably get more respect if he's his own man.
     

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