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During the national anthem before the start of Game 1, Peja Stojakovic shot a glance to his old Sacramento teammate Mike Bibby, standing across the way. “We looked at each other, kind of laughing,” said Stojakovic, who played with Bibby from 2001 to 2006. “It’s weird how life can make things. I never thought I would be on a team this year that was fighting for a championship. And probably, he never thought that, too.” Palm Beach Post

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby 

Pretty deeply rooted, even on the left coast. Leaving Cleveland was sad for Cavs fans, but sorry, folks, completely understandable. The organization had years to build a dynasty around the game's best player. That's on them. But then there was LeBron's ESPN debacle, the party before there was any reason to party, the bump-and-grind with classy Erik Spoelstra, and you can see where this is going. "Ah, I just hope I get a ring before Peja does," Bibby said Saturday when asked about all the drama, evading the issues and punctuating his remarks with his throaty, one -syllable laugh. "I just want to win. When I saw him awhile ago and asked him, 'So, how many teams have you played for since the Kings?' I made fun of him. I told him I had him beat because this is only my third team. He laughed. We talked a bit, caught up on stuff." Sacramento Bee

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby 

That was the plan anyway. That's still the plan, though his jump shot isn't cooperating. In 15 playoff starts, Bibby has made only 26.3 percent of his attempts (and 24.5 percent from three-point range) while averaging 22 minutes. "I'm getting looks," he said. "They're right there. I've lost a little bit of confidence, but I'll get it back. I'm still getting to know the team, figure out how I can help out. Everybody is so athletic, and the defense is just … just amazing. It's so intense, all about moving together and helping each other out. It's like everybody is on a string." Sacramento Bee

Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

Chris Tomasson: Mike Bibby wants to re-sign with the Heat next season as free agent. “Yeah, definitely. As long as they want to keep me.’’ Twitter

Miami Heat, Free Agency, Mike Bibby 

When point guard Mike Bibby gave up his $6.2 million salary for next season last February to escape lowly Washington and get to title-contending Miami, many wondered what the heck he was doing. That even included his biggest supporter. "She didn't think I should," Bibby said during a one-on-one interview about his mother, Virginia, not wanting him to do it. SB Nation

Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Mike Bibby 

Miami has a 3-1 lead over Chicago entering Thursday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. But Bibby, who on Feb. 28 agreed to buyout in which his Wizards contract for next season was voided and then signed for the prorated minimum as a free agent with Miami on March 2, has heard plenty of naysayers. "A lot of people were kind of negative about it and can't believe I gave it up," said Bibby, in the conference finals for the first time since his Sacramento Kings' crushing 4-3 defeat by the Lakers in 2002. "There might be a lockout next year anyway. So either way you look at it, you weren't going to get paid anyway ... I've been in this league long enough to where it wasn't going to make me or break me money wise." SB Nation

Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Mike Bibby 

The Mavericks lead Oklahoma City 3-1 entering Wednesday's Game 5 of the West final. Bibby said he's happy for Stojakovic, whom he could face in the Finals. Bibby said it "feels good to have another chance, a good crack" at a title. While Bibby won't say bitter memories of 2002 played a significant role in his decision to give up so much money to get to the title-contending Heat, Wade believes it did. "He wanted to win," Wade said. "He wanted to be part of an organization that can win. And Mike hasn't been in this position, in these conference finals, since the Sacramento days when they had a big lead and lost it to the Lakers. I think he wanted to put himself back in that position again." SB Nation

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Mike Bibby 

Chris Tomasson: Mike Bibby wants to re-sign with the Heat next season as free agent. “Yeah, definitely. As long as they want to keep me.’’ Twitter

Miami Heat, Free Agency, Mike Bibby 

Shaun Powell: His ex-teammates in Atlanta would always tease Mike Bibby by saying he "waddles" instead of running. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Derrick Rose, Mike Bibby 

Bibby, now 33, starts for the Eastern Conference finalist Heat. But before he teamed up with LeBron, Wade and Bosh, he was first and foremost a Grizzly. An All-American and NCAA champion at the University of Arizona, Vancouver quickly snagged the 6-foot-2 floor general with the second pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. Vancouver Sun

Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

He was named to the All-Rookie team after averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 assists during the lockout-shortened 1999 season. His stats improved every year he was here and during his third and final season (2000-01) with the Grizz, he was fourth in the league in assists at 8.4 per game. "He was always the consummate point guard when he was down here," says Jay Triano, the former radio voice for the Grizzlies and current head coach of the Toronto Raptors. "He was good enough at distributing the basketball, but he was talented enough to find a way to score as well," said Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Bibby's Grizzlies teammate from 1999-2001. "Mike was a very good teammate, a lot quieter and more reserved when he was younger. But I always thought he was a tough competitor." Vancouver Sun

Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

Joseph Goodman: Spoelstra says he's keeping his options open but LeBron said today Mike Bibby will start on Derrick Rose in the series opener. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Derrick Rose, Mike Bibby 

The Kings, the franchise he helped take to the Western Conference Finals, will be staying in Sacramento at least one more season. “The best times I’ve had have been there,” Bibby said. “For them to lose that team, that’s a lot. That’s really all they have out there. So I think it would be tough for the city, tough for all the hard-core fans that are there.” Palm Beach Post

Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Mike Bibby 

Mike Bibby isn’t expecting flowers. The last time the point guard saw the Celtics in the playoffs, he was a part of a Hawks team that terrified the championship-bound Celtics, taking them to seven games in their 2008 first-round series. Noticing the shift in support for a team that won 66 games compared with the one that won just 24 the year before, Bibby called Celtics fans “fair-weather.’’ For two weeks, he made himself the biggest villain in the city. He’ll come back to Boston this week, and he’ll do it in a Miami Heat jersey, so he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. “I don’t mind it,’’ he said. “If they’re paying attention to me, that means I’m doing something.’’ Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

With Sunday's 0 for 6 shooting, Bibby is now 6 of 27 from the field in the series and 4 of 19 on 3-pointers. "I haven't lost any faith in him," Spoelstra said. "Our players haven't lost faith in him. He's too good of a player, too good of a shooter. He'll bounce back. That's the least of our worries right now." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

Q: Could the Miami Heat re-sign Mike Bibby and James Jones while also retaining the mid-level exception to sign a center? — Diego. A: They could, but that comes down to Bibby accepting a minimum-salary reality, which essentially is where his game stands these days. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, James Jones, Mike Bibby 

NDP: Being on teams that have needed time to adjust and get to know eachother, did you expect them to have some struggles out of the gate? Penny: Oh yeah. It’s not going to just happen like that, because it’s not 3 on 5. It’s 5 on 5. The other guys will have to step up as well, and I just knew that DWade and LeBron weren’t jump shooters. They were going to be attacking and attacking, and teams were just going to pack the paint and make them make jumpers and force them into tough shots, versus just getting into the paint. That’s why they needed another facilitator, because if that guy can break the defense down and give it to them, now they’re 1 on 1 and doing whatever they want to do. When they start with the ball, everyone loads to help their side, and even though they have shooters to surround them, their shooters aren’t knocking down shots, so that’s making it all difficult for them. They might make shots once the playoffs come around, but if Mike Miller, Mike Bibby or James Jones got hot, it would make things a lot easier for LeBron and DWade to do what they need to do. If you help, they can kick it to somebody that they know is not going to miss, but they haven’t had that and those guys are missing a lot of those shots. Sole Collector

Miami Heat, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Mike Bibby 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Bibby on no-call on Bogut clubbing his head: "It was physical out there, what can you do?" Said his own foul was contact he didn't create. Twitter

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Bibby, Andrew Bogut 

Mike Bibby has taken 52 shots with the Heat, and only one has been inside 15 feet. He made it. He has not attempted a shot under 10 feet. This isn’t a huge surprise. Penetration is not really a part of his anymore, and especially not inside the structure of the Heat’s offense. He’s a shooter who can settle Miami down. Palm Beach Post

Miami Heat, Mike Bibby 

Miami has had 920 unguarded catch-and-shoot field-goal attempts, according to synergysportstech.com. By comparison, the Lakers have had 712. “I’ve always attracted so much attention that guys get open looks,” James said Wednesday. “When I have new teammates, it’s a harder adjustment at the beginning because they’re not used to getting so many open looks. Mike Bibby, Mike Miller, [ James Jones] — these guys are getting so many open looks because me and D-Wade attract so many eyes.” Miami Herald

Miami Heat, LeBron James, James Jones, Mike Miller, Mike Bibby