Mike Conley Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: G
Born: 10/11/87
Height: 6-1 / 1.85
Weight:185 lbs. / 83.9 kg.
Salary: $32,511,623
Born: 10/11/87
Height: 6-1 / 1.85
Weight:185 lbs. / 83.9 kg.
Salary: $32,511,623
Mike Conley: “Every practice we would do a shooting drill where we had to shoot five threes from five spots and whoever made the most out of 25 won the day. I never could beat him. It got to the point where I’m like, ‘Man, I’m done trying to shoot against you, teach me some stuff, teach me a move, teach me this and that.’ So he taught me a few of his vet moves that he does in the paint when he’s trying to get shot off, or finish, or he’s posting somebody up. For me, I was like a kid in a candy store, man. I look up to him, and we were just newly teammates. That experience itself was a kid’s dream, to learn from somebody that is a Hall of Famer.”
Shams Charania: New player option dates for 2020 NBA free agency: Anthony Davis: Oct. 14 Gordon Hayward: Oct. 17 DeMar DeRozan: Oct. 17 Mike Conley Jr.: Oct. 17 Andre Drummond: Oct. 17
3w
Among the players on the call Friday: Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon, Portland’s CJ McCollum, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Indiana’s Justin Holiday, San Antonio’s Rudy, Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes, Orlando’s Al-Farouq Aminu, Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley Jr., Portland’s Zach Collins and Indiana’s Myles Turner. Former NBA player and NBPA executive Roger Mason Jr. was also on the call, sources said.
Eric Walden: Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley, to the media on a Zoom call, on why he made his $200K donation now: “Immediately, my knee-jerk reaction was to do something right away,” but he wanted to research where his money could ultimately provide the most help.
Mike Conley won ESPN’s H-O-R-S-E competition in the safety and comfort of his own indoor basketball gym. Joe Ingles, meanwhile, had been itching for a chance to shoot a ball. But with the Zions Bank Basketball Campus closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sharp-shooting lefty had no place to practice his jumper until he had a portable hoop set up in the backyard of his Salt Lake City home.
Among Utah Jazz players, Ingles’ situation is far more common than Conley’s—just one reason Jazz officials were thrilled to allow players to enter the team’s practice facility Monday for the first time since the Coronavirus outbreak shut down the NBA on March 11. Jazz officials confirmed “a handful of Utah Jazz players participated in voluntary, individual workouts” at the facility on Monday.
“I was really excited about the chemistry that we were getting with our second unit that Quin had found with Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Georges Niang and Tony Bradley,” Lindsey said. “That group was showing very serious chops offensively. We really liked how they were playing together and I think we were finding ourself with that second unit.”
When asked what he is looking forward to most once the world normalizes, Conley said he is looking forward to a good sit-down meal at a nice restaurant and later joked that one of his bucket list items is very similar. “Right now to just be able to drop the kids off at either grandparents house and just sit,” Conley said with a laugh.
John Hollinger: The underlying assumption, of course, is that Holiday has significant trade value, but I believe that he does. It seems reasonable to me that the Pelicans could expect to net two firsts in a Holiday deal, as well as some players as part of the salary match. However, time is wasting because of the option year on Holiday’s deal — this offseason would be the time to act. A year ago we were in a similar position in Memphis with Mike Conley, albeit facing an easier decision because the team wasn’t as good. I think everyone can look back now and see the Grizzlies are in a much better long-term position as a result of that trade and the subsequent moves it enabled, and I think the Pelicans could have a similar benefit if they play their cards correctly.
Conely recently showed off his ambidextrous abilities when he won ESPN’s HORSE tournament, using offhand shots to make things difficult for his opponents. During the Q&A session a fan asked how Conley trained his offhand so effectively. “Honestly it takes a lot of work and starts as early as you can grab a ball,” Conley said. “Try to implement both-hand dribbling and not straying away from using that offhand. As you get older it becomes harder and harder but it doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish equal hand dominance.”
“Salt Lake has been unbelievable to me,” he said. “My family loves it. Obviously some of the best fans in the world. Truly a different experience for us, I think being in the mountains and altitude has been an adjustment. But, everywhere you go everyone is a diehard Jazz fan and truly care about you and your family.”
“Michael Jordan is No. 1,” Conley said. “His competitive nature, that’s the one thing I try to bring every night.” In a later response to a question about his favorite players growing up, Conley said he was a huge Seattle SuperSonics fan and in turn a big fan of Gary Payton, who spent 13 years with the Sonics. He also again mentioned Jordan along with Isiah Thomas.
Surrounded by masked department of health workers, the Jazz had just learned that Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA season had been suspended, and that they were at risk of infection. That meant that their families were likely at risk as well. Mike Conley’s first thought was of his wife, Mary Peluso, who is pregnant with the couple’s third child. “That was kind of my first priority and my first worry at the time,” Conley said on Friday. “Even when this was first coming out, there wasn’t a lot of research or a lot of cases documented of what happens with pregnant women or children when they’re born or whatever, so it was a little scary for us.”
The Jazz, utilizing Zoom, have been conducting weekly team meetings with head coach Quin Snyder, in addition to virtual group workouts, and team challenges. “We’ve had like fun little dribbling challenges that one of the coaches started per week and we crown a winner,” Conley said. “Just trying to keep guys engaged as much as possible in hopes that we can get back to playing soon.” Conley has also been trying to stay engaged with his teammates in more recreational ways, playing Call of Duty with Royce O’Neale and Donovan Mitchell and playing Monopoly with Ed Davis.
Surrounded by masked department of health workers, the Jazz had just learned that Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA season had been suspended, and that they were at risk of infection. That meant that their families were likely at risk as well. Mike Conley’s first thought was of his wife, Mary Peluso, who is pregnant with the couple’s third child.
“That was kind of my first priority and my first worry at the time,” Conley said on Friday. “Even when this was first coming out, there wasn’t a lot of research or a lot of cases documented of what happens with pregnant women or children when they’re born or whatever, so it was a little scary for us.”
On Friday, veteran guard Mike Conley became the latest to stress the point that NBA players are allowed to argue and not get along with one another and still be successful on the court. “Some of the best players in the world, in our game ever, have disagreed on things or had arguments or fought in practices, whatever it may be, and have went on to win championships and be successful and be brothers for life,” Conley said on a video conference with reporters.
“Between Donovan and Rudy, if they feel a certain way about each other — which I honestly don’t think that’s the case at all — they’re grown men and they’ll handle it and they’ll go out there and compete and try to win, night in and night out. You would never notice on our end.”
Jazz confident about restarting the season
What is Coach Quin Snyder telling the team? Mike Conley: We’re feeling more and more confident that something could happen where we’re able to play again. There are just so many things logistically to work out and so many things with COVID-19 itself that are unknown. But we’re optimistic. Q: Where is that optimism coming from? A: We’ve had calls with the NBPA and NBA. It seems like there are things that are coming together. It makes it feel as if a plan is slowly coming in place and we’re headed in the right direction.
When you think back a month ago to the night in OKC when the league suspended play, what sticks out to you? Mike Conley: Looking back now, it just shocks me how much we didn’t know about COVID or what was going on. We knew what we knew from the news, but being on the frontline was surreal and scary. That’s why we take it more seriously than a lot of people. Once it’s right in front of you, it’s real. This is definitely a threat to all of us. To see the league completely shut down in a matter of minutes … looking back on it was just like something you would see in a movie.
Did the HORSE competition help with staving off some stir-craziness with all of the social isolation? Mike Conley: It helped a lot. All of us guys are looking for something to do, for someone to compete against. There are only so many video games you can play before we really start to go crazy.
Mike Conley wins H-O-R-S-E Challenge
Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley’s ability to use both hands propelled him to the win Thursday in the NBA’s first HORSE competition as he beat Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine for the title. Conley took the title “H-O” to “H-O-R-S-E” in the championship round. With the sports world halted by the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA, National Basketball Players Association and ESPN teamed up to create the single-elimination NBA HORSE Challenge to provide fans with entertainment. And State Farm, the title sponsor, will donate more than $200,000 in support of coronavirus response efforts.
Mike Conley wins H-O-R-S-E Challenge
Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley’s ability to use both hands propelled him to the win Thursday in the NBA’s first HORSE competition as he beat Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine for the title. Conley took the title “H-O” to “H-O-R-S-E” in the championship round. With the sports world halted by the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA, National Basketball Players Association and ESPN teamed up to create the single-elimination NBA HORSE Challenge to provide fans with entertainment. And State Farm, the title sponsor, will donate more than $200,000 in support of coronavirus response efforts.
Evan Barnes: Mike Conley topped Tamika Catchings in that first round of H-O-R-S-E. In other news, that gym shows money well spent with that big contract.
KSL Sports: Advancing through the first round of the HORSE tournament, Chauncey Billups aka Mr. Big Shot takes down Trae Young. MIke Conley and Tamika Catchings are next on ESPN. #TakeNote
Beginning Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, Paul, Young, Catchings, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will match shots against one another in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts. ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones will serve as the official host.
State Farm will donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities focused on coronavirus response efforts. This donation builds on the more than $74 million that has been contributed by the NBA Family to date to support coronavirus relief efforts through its NBA Together campaign. NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm participants will be divided into two groups of four, with the winners of the first two games in each group meeting in the semifinals. The winner from each group will move on to the championship round. ESPN will present the four quarterfinal games on Sunday. The semifinals and the championship game will air on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Mitchell wasn’t the only teammate of Gobert’s frustrated in the immediate wake of his diagnosis, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. But Gobert’s Instagram post has messages of support from many of his teammates, including Mike Conley, Emmanuel Mudiay and Royce O’Neale. Georges Niang is among others who wrote a tweet expressing well wishes to Mitchell and Gobert.
Conley struggled out of the gate. He shot 28.6% from three in October. He shot 37.4% from the floor in November. He missed floaters, a bread-and-butter shot. He wasn’t efficient in pick-and-rolls. His assist-to-turnover ratio stunk. His defense wasn’t very good. In early December, he strained a hamstring. Without him, the Jazz improved. Conley doesn’t hide from questions about his problems. He’ll just tell you he doesn’t have all the answers. Sitting at his locker in Boston last week, Conley admitted the early adjustments were rough. He played 12 seasons in Memphis. He played mostly one style. Like everyone else, he heard how he was supposed to be the player to push Utah further into the postseason. Like everyone else, he believed it.
“When I came into this thing, I was like, ‘man, we’ve got a lot talent.’” Conley told SI.com. “I got a lot of players here. I don’t know if I’m going to do the same things I’m going to be able to do. We have five, six guys that can start, three or four of them that can average 20 points a game. I don’t even know when I’m going to have the ball. In Memphis I always had the ball. So it’s just a change of my role and, and I’m okay with that but it was hard. The public could look at it and say, ‘Oh, he’s not doing the same things he’s normally doing. He can’t do it anymore.’ But it’s like, man, I’m just trying to play the role I can play for this team that best helps us win with the talent that we have.”
Is Conley’s recent upswing sustainable? “I guess I would ask the question differently,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “Is there something that would make someone think that it’s not sustainable? Because I think this is who he is … early on, there were so many things that were new to him and then as he’s beginning to kind of get comfortable, he gets hurt … him finding a rhythm with Donovan [Mitchell] and then with Joe [Ingles] and then with Bojan [Bogdanovic]. Rudy [Gobert] is probably as different a player that he’s played with as anybody. There was just a confluence of things.”
Friday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the league sent a memo to teams to begin preparation to play in arenas without fans and only with essential personnel present. This was the latest, most drastic step. They have already sent instructions about which quotidian precautions to take, and players have tried to follow suit and follow along. Each, though, has their thoughts on how cautious they should be. Emmanuel Mudiay, a Jazz guard, has stopped shaking hands. Mike Conley walked through Utah’s locker in New York City Wednesday elbow bumping a teammate. Elfrid Payton is trying to fist pound more and wash his hands frequently.
The veteran point guard had just dropped 25 points and dished out five assists to lead the Utah Jazz to an impressive 99-94 road win over the Boston Celtics. The performance didn’t leave much for Conley’s doubters to talk about, so Mitchell and his teammates took it upon themselves to fill the silence inside the visitors’ locker room at TD Garden. “I don’t want to hear anymore Mike Conley slander,” forward Georges Niang said. “The guy can hoop.” “It’s just funny how people work,” Mitchell added. “Y’all can continue to hate and say what y’all want. I see it. I know he does, too. But that’s Mike Conley. He’s a Hall of Famer, one of the best to play at his position.”
“There’s way less thinking,” Conley said. “I’m just playing the game. After playing together for a while now, I’m feeling in charge, knowing how you can put guys in position to be successful and make plays, knowing what times in the game that I can be aggressive.”
