The best of NBA Media Day
The Tuesday Newsletter Extravaganza, as usual this time of year, is a collection of standout statements from the occasion that signals all 30 NBA teams are back to work
Hope was back in the NBA air on Media Day Monday.
Hope and even some cheeriness.
The first two Media Days in the history of this Substack, as linked to at the beginning and the end of this sentence, were in all candor pretty dour. Bursts of more positive Back to School energy were much more tangible to tip off our third season of NBA newslettering in advance of the NBA’s 78th season … undoubtedly helped along by two true blockbuster trades last week that absolutely shook the league by landing Damian Lillard in Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday in Boston.
Let’s zoom through some of Monday’s standout quotes in what we now consider an annual tradition here …
The Lakers’ LeBron James shared some moving and optimistic words about his son Bronny James, whose freshman season at USC has been placed on hold after the 19-year-old suffered cardiac arrest during a July workout:
"I’m going to dedicate this season to Bronny because of the incident that happened this summer. It just puts everything in perspective. No matter what’s going on in your life at that point in time, the only thing that matters is your family. To see what he’s been through over the last few months, it’s been a lot. I can only imagine how it’s been for him because it’s been a lot for me and for our family."
New Milwaukee Buck Lillard on the famed (and dreaded) winter weather that has not yet arrived in his new city:
"Seeing the sun out and being by the water and stuff like that, it made me smile a little bit. This might be all right."
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard pushed back hard on the notion that he routinely sits out games when he could be playing them:
"If I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball. I work out every day in the summertime to play the game — not to sit and watch people play."
The standout quote from Victor Wembanyama’s first Media Day in San Antonio in his return to the public spotlight for the first time since the whirlwind days of late June and early July after the Spurs drafted Wemby with the No. 1 overall pick:
"I often like to think the best players are the ones who work the hardest, but you also need to know how to rest the hardest. And I rested hard as hell for a couple weeks."
And now a word from Scoot Henderson’s first Media Day in Portland:
"Just because people think I have to be the new Dame [Lillard], I don’t even think like that. I’m Scoot Henderson.”
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey responding to James Harden publicly calling him “a liar” after Harden asked Philadelphia to trade him:
"He said what he meant. I haven’t responded to that because I think it falls flat on its face. In 20 years of working in the league, I always follow through on everything. Every top agent knows that. Everyone in the league knows. You can’t operate in this job without that. … It’s disappointing he chose to handle it that way."
Some considerable candor from Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin on Zion Williamson’s attempts to rebound from a season in which he was only healthy enough to appear in 29 games:
“This was the first summer where we’ve seen Zion take his profession seriously like that [by hiring his own training team] and invest in it off the court on his own in a way that I think is meaningful.”
Quotes from Ben Simmons about his latest attempt to regain his All-Star form? Not sure anyone wants to read those. Quotes from a teammate who has seen him behind closed doors? I can admit Nets guard Cam Thomas got me curious with this assessment:
“Honestly he just looks more explosive than last year. … When he’s in transition now, he’s full go. Last year he was a little tentative. … I’ve really seen that from him in the offseason so far.”
We were unexpectedly treated to so much more Olympics talk than I was expecting on Media Day Monday. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo, LeBron and Kawhi were among the prominent Americans to publicly pledge their availability next summer to play for the United States in the wake of Team USA’s humbling fourth-place finish at the World Cup. I also got my wish from Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who shared his most detailed answer to date about whether he intends to represent his native Cameroon, France or the United States next summer … with France having issued an Oct. 10 deadline for Embiid to decide:
"My goal is to play in the Olympics. I love all three options. Cameroon, I’m born there, I’m from there and I always want to represent my country. But the goal is also to play in the Olympics. If we had a chance, or if we would qualify for the Olympics, that will be an easy decision. But that’s still up in the air [because Cameroon still has to qualify for the 12-team Paris field next July]. And I really do want to play in the Olympics.”
Chicago’s Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in an NBA game since January 2022 but insists that his career is not over even after three surgical procedures on his left knee — with the Bulls already ruling him out for this entire season after Ball underwent a cartilage transplant in the most recent operation in March 2023:
“I definitely plan on playing again. After Surgery 3, I feel like it’s going well so far, no setbacks. So for me it's just keep my head up, just keep doing the work.”
While all the focus was on Jimmy Butler’s latest hair style (and accessories) on what he calls “my Halloween,” I was struck more by the stubborn confidence Butler continues to dispense … especially given the Heat’s offseason losses (Gabe Vincent and Max Strus) and fruitless trade pursuits of Bradley Beal and Lillard:
"See y’all in the Finals in June. This is our year. This is the one. And this one’s gonna feel real good."
The counter from Denver’s Nikola Jokić:
"Like Jamal said, like why not win again?"
The aforementioned Jamal Murray on his quest to become an All-Star this season for the first time:
"I’d rather be a champion. A lot of guys are All-Stars and not champions."
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Survey Update
The first reader survey commissioned by The Stein Line closed Monday at 11:59 PM ET.
It was more of a challenge to get responses than I expected, but I suppose that’s part of the learning experience for yours truly.
What better way to get the new season started than inviting everyone in our sphere to let me know what they like and don't like about #thisleague and #thisSubstack? That was my thinking.
The plan now is to share some interesting revelations from the results next week after I’ve had a chance to digest all the data.
Numbers Game
🏀 11
Damian Lillard's final ledger in Portland after 11 seasons as a Blazer: Seven All-Star appearances, eight trips to the playoffs and one trip to the Western Conference finals.
🏀 169
Not sure it is a binding promise, but Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo said Monday at Bucks Media Day that he's "going to sign it next year" — referring to a contract extension — after Milwaukee acquired Lillard. If Antetokounmpo did an extension immediately, Milwaukee could only sign him for three more years and and $169 million. By waiting until after the season, Antetokounmpo will be eligible for a four-year deal expected to exceed $230 million.
🏀 30
Interesting find from my fellow Substacker Justin Kubatko: As soon as Lillard and Antetokounmpo play in a regular-season game together, they will become just the second tandem in league history in which both players averaged better than 30 points per game in the previous season. Trivia time: Who comprised the first such duo?
🏀 4
More Kubatko: Lillard is just the fourth player in league history to average better 30 points per game game for an entire season and find himself with a new team for the following season. He joins Substacking star
(traded from Milwaukee to the Lakers during the 1975 offseason), World B. Free (dealt from the San Diego Clippers to Golden State in the summer of 1980) and Moses Malone (traded from Houston to Philadelphia during the 1981 offseason).🏀 39
Blazers reporter Sean Highkin counted up that Lillard thanked 39 people by name in his recent thank-you letter to Portland. Not among them: Blazers general manager Joe Cronin.
🏀 93
Jeff Stotts, curator of the InStreetClothes.com injury data base, tweeted Monday that he recorded 93 new injuries or illnesses during the NBA offseason from summer league and international play as well as surgeries.
Notable among the 93 are a left ankle sprain for Golden State’s Draymond Green and hamstring strain for Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, both sustained in recent offseason workouts. Three players — Chicago’s Lonzo Ball, Denver’s Vlatko Čančar and Philadelphia’s Montrezl Harrell — are poised to miss the entire season with their respective knee injuries.
🏀 4
Kevin Durant's pledge Monday to play in next summer's Paris Olympics will give him a shot at a record fourth gold medal in men's basketball.
🏀 6
As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, there are six American women who have won at least four gold medals, led by the five each won by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings and Sylvia Fowles have each won four. (Another Reynolds gem: Twenty-six current NBA players, all American, have won at least one gold medal.)
🏀 1962-63
Trivia answer: In the 1962-63 season, Elgin Baylor (38.3 PPG) and Jerry West (30.8 PPG) returned for the Los Angeles Lakers having both averaged better than 30 points per game in 1961-62. Lillard averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season in Portland while Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points per game.
🏀 97.1
Readers in the Dallas area — or those who want to listen online — can catch me live for an hour on Saturdays talking NBA on 97.1 The Freak. The Saturday Stein Line debuted on July 1 and can be found via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts:
Probably not as exciting or interesting as other quotes, but the one that got a lot of play in the Bay Area was one that, on the surface, was innocuous, but was something that the collective Warrior fan base was anxiously waiting for.. when asked about the elephant in the room (i.e., whether he expected to start or not), Chris Paul launched into an anecdote about coming off the bench in the 2008 Olympics, and then said..
"Whatever I can do to help our team win."
Monte Poole, a longtime reporter covering the Warriors, said earlier this summer, after Paul responded to a similar query from Kendra Andrews, by asking "Are you coaching?", that Paul would ease a lot of minds if he would just say exactly that.. to basically offer to come off the bench, if it's what is best for the team.
Due to Draymond Green's ankle injury, Paul will actually start the first pre-season game tomorrow, and, barring a super fast healing from Green, something Rick Celebrini will probably discourage, Paul may also be starting in the season opener against Phoenix. But knowing that he's already on board to leading the bench unit has definitely enhanced the vibes among Dub Nation.
That David Griffin quote is interesting and damming.