Our regular day off in gossip activity gives us more to talk about while you’re sipping that morning coffee in bed, your breakfast table or even your work desk if you got suckered in to work early. Still, lots to read about in today’s new column.
CHRISTMAS DAY JERSEYS REVEALED
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page as this was released on Friday. The NBA have released pictures of this year’s Christmas Day vests.
Thankfully, they have returned to the vests instead of shirts, and this year’s twist sees his back of the jerseys have the player’s first names instead of the second names.
Via ESPN:
If it’s not last, it’s first.
The NBA on Friday released the style of the 10 team uniforms that will be worn Christmas Day, and the backs of the jerseys will feature players’ first names.
The fronts of the jerseys feature each team’s primary logo in the space where the team name or city is usually spelled out.
[…]
The Christmas Day slate includes the Wizards at Knicks, Thunder at Spurs, Cavaliers at Heat, Lakers at Bulls and Warriors at Clippers.
KG WANTS TO BUY THE TIMBERWOLVES
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett has revealed that he wants to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves when he has retired.
And let’s face it: He isn’t far off that mark now, is he?
The Big Ticket spent his first 12 seasons with the Wolves, winning an MVP award while there. His most productive years have been with Minnesota and he wants to return some day.
Via Yahoo! Sports:
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett doesn’t want to be an NBA general manager or coach when his playing days are over. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ all-time leading scorer has his eye on an even higher position with his former NBA franchise.
Garnett told Yahoo Sports he wants to one day own the Timberwolves.
“I want to buy the Timberwolves. Put a group together and perhaps some day try to buy the team. That’s what I want,” Garnett said after a 107-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders is Garnett’s former coach with the franchise, which is rebuilding and expected to miss the playoffs once again. But the team does have several young talented players: 2014 No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, Nikola Peckovic, Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad and rookie Zach LaVine.
For Garnett, it’s all about his history with the franchise.
“That is the one that has my interest. I have ties there. Flip’s there,” said Garnett, 38.
KOBE’S VIRAL INFECTION TO BLAME ON WORST NIGHT EVER
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs 93-80 on Saturday, giving them a 1-8 record, their worst start in franchise history but for Kobe Bryant, he looked drained.
Bryant shot just 1/14 from the field – his worst shooting night in his 19 years in the NBA – and while he would shake it off and return to the gym, Bryant staggered to the locker room.
Via the LA Daily News:
The Lakers said Bryant has a probable viral infection. Bryant was hardly as forthcoming, only revealing that he was “feeling achy” on Friday morning. But Bryant sounded ominous when asked if this illness is something he could overcome.
“It’s the first I faced this type of challenge in my career,” said Bryant of his 19-years in the NBA. “Honestly I don’t know. I’l think about it and talk to the great team of therapists and figure it out.”
Bryant’s 1-of-14 shooting clip represented his lowest marks since shooting only 1-of-8 on Feb. 12, 2013 against Phoenix. In that game, Bryant also did not attempt a shot in the first half. Bryant tried offsetting his poor shooting accuracy by going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line and dishing off six assists. But Bryant also committed six turnovers and hit his lone field goal with 10:59 left in the game. Bryant sat nearly four minutes later.
“Your body won’t respond and you’re sick and you used to be able to fight through these things,” Bryant said. “I tried to lean on my teammates and, at the same time, be aggressive and take shots. They didn’t go in.”
Bryant though seemed a little better the next night against the Golden State Warriors, as he hugged Shaquille O’Neal, pre-game and lit the Warriors for 44 points.
The Warriors though had the splash brothers. Steph Curry had 30 points and 15 assists as the Dubs ran out 136-115 winners, leaving the Lakers 1-9.
LOVE NOT INTERESTED IN LAKERS
The rumours surrounding Kevin Love and a potential move to the Lakers next season look to be just that: Rumours.
Via ESPN:
There were three things on the big man’s agenda that he sought to clear up: a media report that stated he plans to opt out of his contract this summer in order to join the Los Angeles Lakers, that much-talked about celebratory handshake he shared with Kyrie Irving after the Cavs’ win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, and his visit to Boston over the summer and what it meant to his interest (or lack thereof) in joining the Celtics.
On the first two, Love went ahead and killed two birds with one stone.
“Whatever [people assumed] we were doing with our hands was about as true as me going to the Lakers,” Love said after shootaround in advance of the Cavaliers’ game against the Boston Celtics, “I mean, I don’t know why it was so hard for people to realize that we were actually curling our mustache. I guess because I had my fingers in the wrong place. Looking at the tape — film don’t lie — it looks like we are doing something bad, but that wasn’t the case.”
Love has an early termination option in his contract that many assume he will exercise this summer in order to sign a new deal. But even if he goes that route, he wanted to be clear that he hasn’t made his mind up about leaving the Cavs at this point.
“Going to the Lakers, no, that’s not [true],” Love said. “I don’t know where somebody got that.”
