The premier of the documentary ‘NYC Point Gods’ introduced an NBA crowd Tuesday night time to the Midnight Theatre in Manhattan, and the purple carpet offered some fascinating notes that we’ll element beneath.
The producer of the movie, Kevin Durant, didn’t communicate amid his commerce request, and his agent, Rich Kleiman, declined to handle why his shopper desires to go away the Nets.
But we did get an opportunity to meet up with a number of present and former NBA gamers.
CELTICS STAR NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN KD RUMORS
With the stories suggesting the Celtics and Nets have mentioned a commerce involving Durant, Jayson Tatum stated he’s content material with Boston’s present roster.
“”I don’t assume any of that. I simply play basketball,” Tatum stated. “I mean, I played with him during the Olympics. Obviously, he’s a great player. But that’s not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys we got.”
The Celtics, who swept the Nets within the playoffs and superior to the Finals, reportedly provided Jaylen Brown for Durant. They additionally acquired Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari this offseason.
”We received two new items,” Tatum stated. “I love our team. Like I said, I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don’t put that hat on and make decisions.”
Former Celtics nice Paul Pierce was extra dismissive of a Durant commerce.
“They’re not going to do that,” Pierce stated. “That ain’t happening. They don’t need to make no moves.”
BLAMING STEVE NASH
NBA champion and present analyst Stephen Jackson stated it’s unfair guilty the Nets shortcomings final season on simply Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Jackson particularly known as out coach Steve Nash for getting swept within the first spherical towards the Celtics.
“It’s been a lot going on so I just say it’s entirely on them. For me, knowing the game and watching the game, I don’t like the coaching situation,” Jackson stated. “I love Steve Nash but I think there’s a lot of things they could of done differently. With the lineups in the playoffs, with not playing Blake (Griffin) till the last minute. There’s a lot of things that went wrong.”
Jackson added that Durant’s commerce request was a optimistic signal for participant empowerment, referencing how groups commerce gamers on a regular basis.
“It feels good to see the players taking control of their careers and taking control of their destiny,” Jackson stated. “And that’s what KD’s doing. If he doesn’t want to be there, it’s all about winning. It’s not about where you play or who you play with, it’s about winning. And I think those guys understand that.”
TURN UP THE MUSIC
After taking part in in a heyday for youth basketball in NYC, Ron Sandiford-Artest acknowledged the sport is down and he blamed music-killing gentrification.
“There’s a reason why it’s down. It’s because when they started to gentrify the city, they started to turn the music off,” Sandiford-Artest stated. “So when people come from other countries come to live in our neighborhoods and complain about the music – you take the music away from the tournaments in New York City, you kill it. You kill it. That’s what they did.”
Sandiford-Artest additionally cited new curfews on the courts, whereas he used to play basketball till 2 a.m.
“We don’t have anybody fighting for that. We need people fighting for that,” he stated. “And basketball players in New York City should vote for only people who aren’t going to turn the music off.”
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
Mark Jackson, the previous All-Star level guard, believes he would’ve gained a championship with the Knicks if he hadn’t been traded in 1992.
“I do believe we win a championship. We had a great team,” Jackson stated. “We had a process moving along. We advanced. We had the champs on the ropes. So I believe we win a championship if that team stays together.”
Jackson was dealt to the Clippers in a three-team commerce that introduced Charles Smith and Doc Rivers again to New York. The Knicks, who misplaced to the Bulls within the convention semis in seven video games throughout Jackson’s last season, fell to the Bulls within the convention finals in six video games after the commerce.
“We were up in the fourth quarter of a Game 7 with Michael Jordan on the team,” Jackson stated. “They’re an all-time great team and he’s an all-time great player but I believe we had a chance to beat them and if we stayed together, we would have.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com