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Spurs forward Richard Jefferson, whose team embarks today for a game Tuesday at venerable Madison Square Garden, doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. “Even though they had a bunch of great teams for a bunch of years, they haven’t won a championship since the 1970s,” Jefferson, who spent the first seven seasons of his career playing across the Hudson in New Jersey, said Sunday. “This is not a Boston Celtics team or like the Lakers franchise. What year was the last time they won a championship? 1973? “So to say basketball is back in New York, what does that even mean?” San Antonio Express-News

New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

He isn’t buying the prevailing notion of New York as a basketball mecca. “There are too many good players and teams,” Jefferson said. “You look at how great it was for Cleveland having LeBron (James) and what it did to that community and how important it was for them. You look at what is going on now in Miami or in Oklahoma City. San Antonio Express-News

New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

Jefferson opted out at the June 30 deadline and eventually re-signed for a deal worth about the same as the four-year, $40 million he had speculated about getting in April. It all sounded a bit fishy since the Spurs saved $6.6 million this season by paying Jefferson $8.4 million, which translates to $13.2 million in savings when one considers the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. Jefferson said there was no pre-arranged deal. But he had a pretty good idea the Spurs wanted to keep him despite his off year. "We hadn't discussed (a new contract) before, but they understood my struggles last year weren't for a lack of effort,'' Jefferson said in an interview with FanHouse. "I think they appreciated my work ethic and my professionalism. I never complained that I wasn't starting (for stretches when he was brought off the bench in February and March) or I wasn't shooting the ball (enough). I took it all in stride and said, 'I just needed to do better.' I think they respected that and my ability and being the type of (person) they wanted here.'' FanHouse.com

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

Jefferson didn't re-sign with the Spurs until July 21, two weeks into the period where players could do so. He insists there was a chance the Spurs could have gone another direction. "I didn't know,'' he said. "You never know. If all of a sudden, Chris Bosh (who ended up going as a free agent from Toronto to Miami) said he wanted to come to Texas and said he wanted to play with Tim Duncan, I could have been out in the street looking for a job some place. But you had to look at it that there were a ton of teams with a lot of money and there's only one LeBron (James, who went from Cleveland to the Heat as a free agent) and only one (Dwyane Wade, who re-signed with Miami). So those guys are going to go to certain places.'' FanHouse.com

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

Jefferson's outstanding play thus far should remind Spurs fans of two blasts from the past. Jefferson contributes much like Bruce Bowen without the defense, and his scoring numbers so far this season closely resemble Sean Elliott's from 1999. "It is really no different from being a freshman or sophomore," says Jefferson, who signed a new contract with the Spurs this past off season. "Anyone who gets a second year of experience in a system is going to feel more comfortable. Last year I was playing with a new group of guys that have all played together their whole careers. It has taken me a bit of time to figure out how to contribute consistently." HoopsWorld

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

Jefferson also spoke of the young players who he says have contributed so far this season. "George Hill, who was a great player for us last year. I really believe people are going to be impressed with James Anderson, who was getting minutes for us before he broke his foot. Gary Neal is consistently contributing and DeJuan Blair steps up when we need him." Early season success is not something Jefferson wanted to spend much time addressing. "These guys have won four NBA championships," Jefferson points out. "No one on this team seems to care that we have won a bunch of regular season games. We have to keep winning at this rate just to remain in the discussion as one of the better teams in the league. The Lakers are still the team to beat." HoopsWorld

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

Jeff McDonald: Richard Jefferson says L.A. still the measuring stick: "Until somebody knocks them off in the playoffs, they will be the team to beat." Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

However... "It's not going to be easy," Jefferson cautioned. "They have a good record against teams below .500 (8-1), but they've struggled against teams above .500 (1-7). Above .500 teams are teams that typically have played together for a few years." NBA.com

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Richard Jefferson, USA Basketball 

On the eve of the 2010-11 regular-season opener, Jefferson, the Spurs starter at small forward, believes he finally understands what is involved in the Spurs culture. “I have a much better understanding of what it means and what they want from me,” Jefferson said after Monday's final practice session before the Spurs meet the Indiana Pacers at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

But Jefferson made it clear he hopes than new acquisition Bobby Simmons will be ready to lend a hand playing at power forward. "I told Bobby that there's a lot of minutes for him at the four spot," Jefferson said, chuckling. "Pop would love to look at him at the four. He would get to take the ball out of bounds. He would get to guard Chris Bosh and all of those guys. I would love to be the backup four small man -- right behind Bobby." Jefferson is hopeful of playing more minutes overall than he did last season, when he averaged 31.1 minutes, 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in what by all terms a disappointing season. "All of them, as many Coach needs me to," Jefferson said. "I feel a lot more comfortable with everything he wants from me. I think I feel more comfortable on the floor doing those things. Whatever he needs from me." San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

While he was on a 12-hour flight to London, his agent told the Spurs his client was opting out of the final season of his contract. “By the time I landed,” Jefferson said, “I had 200 text messages.” The general tone of the digital missives: “You did what?” “It was a lot of surprise,” Jefferson recalled, “but also a lot of wishing me well. People who know you and support you will support whatever decision you make.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson 

According to an account from Richard Jefferson in the most recent issue of ESPN the Magazine, Tim Duncan gave Jefferson a single, very simple instruction upon his arrival in San Antonio: "When I first got here, Tim Duncan told me, 'Don't suck. As long as you don't suck, you'll be helping the team.' He basically told me that I wasn't very good. Now, most nights, if I play okay, Tim says 'Yo, you didn't suck tonight.' So for the most part, I try to not think about anything other than not sucking. It's good to know that as long as I don't suck, as long as I don't hurt the team, as long as I'm neutral, I'm okay." NBCSports.com

San Antonio Spurs, Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan 

Jeff McDonald: One correction to RJ deal. Fourth year IS fully guaranteed, with a player option. Twitter

Sources tells TNT's David Aldridge that forward Richard Jefferson's new contract with the San Antonio Spurs, officially announced on Wednesday, is for four years and $38.8 million, with a player option for the final season at a little more than $11 million. Jefferson had opted out of the final year of his contract with the Spurs, which would have paid him $15 million next season, in order to test free agency. But most league officials believed the 30-year-old Jefferson would re-sign with the Spurs, who acquired him from Milwaukee last summer in a deal with the Bucks for Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas. Jefferson struggled for much of last season with the Spurs as he learned Gregg Popovich's system, averaging just 12.3 points, his lowest average since his rookie season. NBA.com

Jeff McDonald: RJ's deal: 2010-11 ($8.4 million); 2011-12 ($9.282 million); 2012-13 ($10.164 million); 2012-13 ($11.046 million). Twitter

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have re-signed Richard Jefferson. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed. NBA.com

After testing the waters of free agency, Jefferson will at last sign a new deal with the Spurs today that will keep him in silver and black for at least three more seasons — and eventually pay him more than he left behind — a league source said Tuesday. It's just going to take longer for Jefferson to accumulate all that money. Jefferson traveled to San Antonio on Tuesday for a physical examination. If cleared by the Spurs' medical staff, he is expected to sign a new contract this morning. San Antonio Express-News

The teams with the big salary cap cushion looked elsewhere — the Nets choosing Travis Outlaw, the Knicks spending their cash on Amare Stoudemire and a Golden State pu pu platter, the Bulls taking the Kyle Korver/Ronnie Brewer route. When Cleveland seemed uninterested in giving Jefferson the long-term deal he craved to fill LeBron James' Nikes, he had little choice but to return to San Antonio. According to those close to him, this was the outcome Jefferson wanted all along. The Spurs, too, could do worse than a half-priced Richard Jefferson starting at small forward. San Antonio Express-News

Some in the Spurs camp believed Jefferson was overburdened by the weight of his large contract last season. He tried hard to live up to the expectations that preceded him, and grew frustrated when he could not. Internally, there is some hope Jefferson will more relaxed, and therefore more productive, playing on a more palatable contract — in short, that his second coming to San Antonio will be easier now that he doesn't have to be the Second Coming. San Antonio Express-News

Free agent forward Richard Jefferson is en route to San Antonio this afternoon, where he is set to sign a long-term contract with the Spurs on Wednesday. Details of the new deal are not yet available, but his salary next season will be well below the $15.2 million he would have been guaranteed had he not opted out of the final season of his contract with the Spurs on June 30. San Antonio Express-News