“I am honored and excited to coach this talented group of players in New Orleans,” said Van Gundy. “This opportunity was one that I was really attracted to due in large part to David Griffin’s record of putting together highly competitive, talented teams in a great family atmosphere. When I got into the interview process and had a chance to meet with Mrs. Benson, Dennis Lauscha, Griff, Trajan Langdon, Swin Cash and the Pelicans front office, it became clear how committed and invested they are to winning. My wife Kim and I want to thank Mrs. Benson, along with Griff, Trajan, Swin and the front office for welcoming our family and entrusting me to lead this team. We look forward to working with this great organization and getting involved in the New Orleans community.”
“I am honored and excited to coach this talented grou…
June 20, 2021 | 1:02 am EDT Update
Tyronn Lue: 'I'm big on pressure'
Shortly after his hiring, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer called Lue “the best coach in the NBA” considering he coached the Cleveland Cavaliers when they won the 2016 NBA title and appeared in four consecutive Finals. No pressure, but the Clippers have expected the same thing since acquiring Leonard and George two years ago. “I’m big on pressure,” Lue said. “If you don’t have pressure, that means you don’t have a chance at winning a championship. When you talk about pressure, that means you’re in a situation to win. That’s what I want to do. I want to be one of the greatest coaches. In order to be great, you have to win.”
Throughout the Clippers’ playoff series against Dallas and Utah, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, Jazz coach Quin Snyder and Clippers players all praised Lue for his in-game adjustments while convincing players to accept the changes. ““I try to think two or three steps ahead. I think my coaching staff does a great job of that,” Lue said. “We want to make sure when they make adjustments, we already know the adjustments they’re going to make and have a counter for it. So just try to prepare for it before they do it, understand what they’re trying to do and anticipate what their adjustments might be.”
Michael Scotto: James Harden on playing injured against the Bucks: “It’s basically a grade 2 hamstring strain, so the first possession of Game 1 up until Game 5, that was the first time I did any basketball competition against anybody. I was literally going out there on a limb.”
Royce Young: Did you know: KD actually wears a full size bigger in games than his actual shoe size. From @Herring_NBA’s 2018 story about why KD’s shoes fall off all the time:
Anthony Puccio: Brook Lopez smacks the Brooklyn logo on his way out. The franchise’s leading scorer finally got his revenge
June 20, 2021 | 12:41 am EDT Update
Blake Griffin on joining Nets: 'I'm still happy with my decision'
Ajayi Browne: “I’m still happy with my decision.” ⁃Blake Griffin on his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets this year.
Alex Schiffer: Blake Griffin another pending free agent asked about his future: “I don’t know, the game ended an hour ago.”
Alex Schiffer: Jeff Green asked if he hopes to come back to Brooklyn: “Everybody knows how much I loved it here.”
