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Jeff McDonald: Former Sun Boris Diaw, on difference between Spurs' offense and Mike D'Antoni's: "Popovich is still not asking guys to take crazy shots." Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, Mike D'Antoni, Boris Diaw, Greg Popovich 

Diaw, who grabbed a playoff career-high 12 rebounds, did his best to keep Griffin from getting close enough to the basket to dunk. “Well, it's not easy, of course,” Diaw said. “Everybody knows him, the way he's playing. He's very athletic, so I try to take some stuff away from him. The main thing with him is to try and keep him outside the paint because as soon as he's in the paint, he can dunk from anywhere. So try to keep him out.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

Jeff Zillgitt: France names 18-man preliminary roster for London Olympics. NBAers on list: Batum, Beaubois, Diaw, Mahinmi, Noah, Parker, Seraphin, Turiaf. Twitter

Tony Parker, Kevin Seraphin, FIBA, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ronny Turiaf, Ian Mahinmi, Joakim Noah, France, Boris Diaw, Nicolas Batum 

Diaw at 15 was tall and raw and the son of Elisabeth Riffiod, one of France's greatest female basketball players when he arrived at school. Parker, one month younger, was already a well-known entity in French hoop circles. "Everybody was talking about this 15-year-old kid who was playing in Paris," Diaw said. "I had already heard the stories. I wouldn't say he was a legend. But he was already above the pack back then." They became fast friends, the whippet-like guard who idolized Michael Jordan and the taller, stronger forward who grew up a fan of Magic Johnson. "I guess I patterned myself after Magic," Diaw said. "I was always going to be tall. I could see over everyone. I liked to pass. I guess you try to play like who you see. I guess it was subconscious. Really, I was just playing. That's what we all were doing -- just playing." NBA.com

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw 

They were quite a pair. Parker practically burned rubber up and the down the court, while Diaw was always smoother than pate foie gras, cooler than the other side of the pillow. "Basketball came easy to him," Parker said. "He sees everything in advance."What Parker saw was a path to the NBA, where no French player had ever gone before then. "Everyone thought about playing one day in the NBA -- it was always out there," said Diaw. "But for Tony, there just wasn't any doubt in his mind. He was going to do it." NBA.com

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw 

"When Pop said that Boris was in the starting five it felt like a dream," Parker said. "Growing up and going to high school together, both dreaming about the NBA, I never thought I would ever be in the starting five with him and with the Spurs, the best team in the NBA. "It's not every day you can play with one of your best friends on an NBA team and be starting and can be trying to win an NBA championship. It's a great experience and hopefully we can go very far this year. "Definitely, there are a lot of French journalists, a lot of stories about us. They have been following us for a long time, because we have been together on the national team for a long time." NBA.com

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw 

Another report concerning Nash's future surfaced Friday out of the Big Apple, when NY Post basketball scribe Peter Vecsey wrote that Nash is furious with Phoenix brass over their failure to actively pursued former Sun Boris Diaw, who was cut by Charlotte and signed by San Antonio last week. Nash took the time following Friday's practice to address Vecsey's article. "It's the first I've heard of it. Obviously, I'd love to have Boris on the team but I never talked to anybody in New York," Nash said. Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Boris Diaw 

For the first time in a long time, if not forever, Steve Nash may be fed up enough to leave the Suns and continue his Hall-of- Fame-bound career elsewhere next season. A person very familiar with the mood of the unrestricted free agent, got that distinct feeling from the NBA’s assist assassin. He strongly suspects Nash might have been pushed over the edge by management’s alleged apathetic pursuit of free agent Boris Diaw for the team’s final 18 games. Nash absolutely wanted to reunite with Diaw and vigorously recruited him. No disrespect to Grant Hill, but the veteran Frenchman is as close to being on the maestro’s savoir faire wavelength as anyone he ever has shared the ball with. New York Post

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Steve Nash, Boris Diaw 

Nash deeply desired a confirmed playmaker to make things easier for him and the Suns. The problem was, a team insider asserted, team president Lon Babby was against revisiting the past, a message, if not in words, Diaw received loud and clear from his agent Doug Neustadt following conversations with owner Robert Sarver and Babby. Babby refuted my information. He said the Suns simply were beat out by the (second best-in-the-west) Spurs, who had the long-time French national relationship of Tony Parker going for them. “We spoke with Boris’ agent in a timely fashion to express our interest and were told he had decided to go to San Antonio,” Babby said in an email. New York Post

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Steve Nash, Boris Diaw 

Who knows, maybe the Suns would have signed Diaw. However, had it happened, it would have been begrudgingly. That was the impression Diaw got, my source contended. “He did not want to be where he was unwanted [by the front office],” the same source underlined. New York Post

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Steve Nash, Boris Diaw 

This is the tale of a basketball player, Boris Diaw, and his first love: photography. Diaw -- formerly of the Charlotte Bobcats, currently with the San Antonio Spurs -- discovered his talents for snapping shots on a 2003 trip to Senegal, when he was visiting his father. He bought a beginner camera and took pictures of family, friends and the country. His face still lights up when he tells of a trip a year later on his first African safari where his interest in photography blossomed. "I love animals and being able to take back the memories of being in the wild and seeing all this wildlife happening, not being in a zoo," he said. ESPN.com

San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

A longtime admirer of National Geographic photographer Steve Winter's work, Diaw reached out to the man with an interest in shadowing him for an upcoming story. With a connection through the NBA, Winter last year invited Diaw for a week-long internship to India's Bandhavgarh National Park, a tiger reserve and wildlife sanctuary. "He told me right away: 'You should come. I'm leaving on Tuesday.' It was like Friday, something like that," Diaw recalled. "He's like, 'I'm leaving on Tuesday, going to India to finish a story on Indian tigers." ESPN.com

San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

Why did you choose San Antonio? How did it happen? Boris Diaw: First, I had to reach an agreement on a contract buyout with the Charlotte Bobcats. After that, I knew it would be quick because in the NBA, you have 72 hours to sign with a new team once you’ve been released. There were multiple possibilities for me but I wanted to choose a team where I could adapt quickly. And San Antonio seemed like the best fit for me. RMC Sport

San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

Where are you currently living? Boris Diaw: I’m sleeping on Tony’s couch for the moment. Like Jeremy Lin! (laughs). We made a deal: I can sleep at his house but I have to pay for all of our meals. RMC Sport

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw 

Tony Parker talks about San Antonio’s recent acquisitions. The French point guard really likes the moves the Spurs did and think they can win the NBA title this season: "Our goal is to win a championship. Tim Duncan and I haven’t got a lot of time left. The Spurs made the right moves by signing Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills. We have a complete team now. We know we can beat everybody in the West, we proved it by beating OKC two times already. Winning another title is something we can do this year. (…) I’m really glad the Spurs signed Boris Diaw. I’m happy to be able to play with him. RMC Sport

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw 

The Celtics showed interest in swingman Boris Diaw, who was waived by the Bobcats because coach Paul Silas was fed up with his lackadaisical play. Diaw was considered a budding star a few years ago but has played the past few years about 20 pounds above his previous weight. The Bobcats will have plenty of cap space if they decide to amnesty DeSagana Diop, who has a player option for $7.3 million next season. Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

Jeff McDonald: Diaw: "I’ve been knowing this franchise for a long time now thru Tony. I feel like I know this organization and I’m just glad to be here." Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw 

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they signed forward Boris Diaw. Per club policy details of the contract were not released. The 6-8, 235-pound Diaw started the season with the Charlotte Bobcats before being placed on waivers on March 21. In 37 games with the Bobcats, Diaw averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.5 minutes. He scored in double figures in 11 games, including a season-high 27 points at New York on Jan. 4. Diaw came with two assists of his seventh career triple-double posting 16 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists vs. Miami on Dec. 28. NBA.com

San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Boris Diaw 

Free agent Boris Diaw has reached agreement on a deal with the San Antonio Spurs, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Boris Diaw 

Diaw agreed to a buyout with the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday, and cleared waivers Friday afternoon. The Spurs will sign Diaw for the remainder of the season. The deadline for signing free agents to be eligible for the playoffs is Friday. Yahoo! Sports

San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Boris Diaw