It's time again to CHOOSE YOUR SPURS CHAMPION! Comment which one (A, B, C, D) will happen FIRST in a single regular season game for a chance to win a $25 Spurs Fan Shop gift card!
* Must be following me and correctly guess for a chance to win.
Coach Popovich always compliments other coaches but hates getting attention back. I'm giving him no choice now. A mega-thread with quotes from nearly every current NBA head coach:
"I'll never forget, you wrote me a handwritten note when we won the championship. What you and your organization did at my last game, I'll forever be grateful. Thank you, my friend.
"There's no player in the league that everybody talks about [more] after the game. Me and Harrison [Barnes] were on our flight talking about how cool it's going to be at this point in our careers to get a chance to appreciate him day in and out."
- Chris Paul on Wembanyama
Asked Pop about the possibility of increasing Wemby's playing time down the stretch. He said Victor won't play "Sprewell minutes" but "he's got to get up over 30."
Wemby on:
2/17 - "What the fuck is this?"
2/29 - "I missed this shit!"
10/24 - "Spurs basketball is back, bitches! Sit your asses down and watch me fuck shit up"
"I feel like I'm immune to the ... distractions like partying, alcohol, drugs. Like, why would I ever do that? I don't have nothing to compensate for."
Via The Ringer:
"He's like, I don't need to talk to you. You might be one of the worst defenders I've ever coached, but you can really shoot that thing. I'll see you next September." - Doug McDermott on his first exit meeting with Coach Pop ()
Tim Duncan plays "start, bench, cut" with Tony, Manu, and D-Rob
"I'll start David, bench Manu, and cut the French boy."
- The Richard Jefferson & Larry Show:
"There are two rookies that have 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists. Paolo Banchero and Jeremy Sochan. Just to let you know the season he's having."
"I know you weren't trying to be courageous when you hired me, but you did something nobody else in pro sports has ever done. You've changed the trajectory of my life and of so many other girls and young women. Thank you. I love you."
2024 Spurs Media Day Thread 👇
Coach Popovich is up first and opts to stand. "I don't feel like sitting."
On Chris Paul: "He's gonna be a great mentor for our young guys. These guys haven't really had that. I can't even quantify how important that will be."
Wemby on his drive: "It's very profound inside of me. I got these abilities. This talent. I'm healthy. I was raised in a good family. I got all this that was given to me. The only option is to use it and make the most out of it. If I can be the best, then I must be the best."
MVP Nikola Jokic on who he modeled his game after: "Of course Tim Duncan. He's a great player. Dirk, LaMarcus Aldridge, Boris Diaw -- those kinds of guys that are not flashy."
Victor Wembanyama addresses concerns about handling the grueling NBA schedule:
"They can think that because they don't know my work ethic."
Robin: "When someone says bulk up?"
"Why? What for? You should tell others to skinny up."
Wembanyama on what it means to be a Spur:
"It's the greatest thing I could've asked for. The greatest franchise. The greatest team. The greatest culture. The greatest fans. Sometimes, the universe puts us through trials before having any reward. This is one of my rewards."
"So focused is Wembanyama on his health and well-being that Spurs staffers are advised never to phone him after 9:30. That's when he reads for an hour and goes to sleep." - Mike Monroe ()
"I'm far from mastering the game as much as him. I try to do stuff like him, but I'm not patient enough. I want to go too fast, but he goes at his own pace and goes to his spots. I gotta get inspired by that." -Wemby on KD
Victor Wembanyama to Stephon Castle: "I'm so, so happy with what we did. I don't know how you feel, but I'm super excited to start working." (via Spurs IG)
Sources: 2x Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard is unlikely to play in the NBA Playoffs. Kawhi’s camp and the Clippers’ brass are in disagreement as to Leonard’s availability for the playoffs. This has led to growing frustration from both sides.
Wemby on people saying teammates don't pass to him: "Of course, I’ve heard it, but it’s never been even close to reality. There’s nobody on this team that doesn’t want to pass me the ball and there’s nobody I don’t want to pass the ball to."
"We lost [to the Mavs in '06] and you were crying in the locker room. In 2007, my only motivation was to try to bring you a championship. When we beat Cleveland, it was priceless to see your face."
Pop on Stephon Castle:
"I'm very impressed. Really mature young man. Has a great demeanor. Good basketball IQ. He's strong. He learns quickly. He's a good one. He can play 1, 2, or 3 right now."
Charlotte Hornets - James Borrego: "A mentor, friend, someone that believed in me and grew me. In my first year, he didn't even know my name. Called me Ray Romano."
Spurs announce Manu Ginobili's hanging jersey with the Hall of Fame distinction will be revealed at halftime of their season-opener on Oct. 19. Everyone will also receive a limited edition Manu Ginobili shirt in collab with nba paint.
"He's so high in the air. When he talks trash, he sounds like he's whispering. He was like, 'Go back up. Go. Go. You scared. You scared. You scared.' " - GG Jackson on Wembanyama
"Teammates who'd been there for the Kawhi drama 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 wanted to win. I wanted to help get it done. You'd think we were entering the Colosseum for battle, the way fans were... I [had] the only triple-double of my career. We crushed em."
- DeRozan on Kawhi's return to SA
Harrison Barnes says waiving his trade kicker to join the Spurs was an easy decision:
"It's funny. With the new CBA, the trade kicker became more of a play than I was expecting. Just the opportunity to come here and play for Pop and with this group. It's exciting."
Jason McIntyre makes the case the Spurs have the worst roster in the NBA and insults the city despite never visiting. Colin Cowherd fights him at every turn.
"He wants his team to win. He wants to win the dunk contest, 3-point contest, All-Star Game MVP. He wants to win everything, and he talks about it. I'm telling you, this guy is a gem, and the NBA is gonna discover it." - Brian Windhorst, NBA Today
"One of the best things that could've happened to [Wemby] was going to San Antonio with Coach Pop. That infrastructure is gonna teach you how to be a pro. So many guys fail cause they never learned how to be professional. Their player development is unmatched."
Draymond: "I won't be able to play in the All-Star Game so Murray may have a chance to get rewarded by Commissioner Silver. I hope that comes to fruition for him."
"Very happy for Coach Pop. He's my guy. We won a gold medal together. Victor Wembanyama is gonna have an incredible coach that will teach him the NBA game. He's going to one of the best developmental staffs in the league."
Manu Ginobili has officially been named as a finalist for the 2022 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class. The full class will be announced during the NCAA Final Four in early April.
"It's wild to see the talent -- especially Vic with his ball-handling. He hit a running one-legged three today. I just remember looking up and saying, 'Holy shit.' "
"I hope, when I don't have to guard him and I'm out of the league, he's able to go out and break all these records. Possibly break Wilt's record of 100 points." Embiid on Wembanyama
"If you went to Wembanyama's camp right now, gave them truth serum, and said 'pick your ideal landing spot from the [bottom] four', I'm sure it would be the Spurs. I really like what they're building." -
@DraftExpress
“To me, it’s the closest thing on earth to a dystopia.” — Victor Wembanyama, reflecting on his first time visiting Las Vegas, when he played against Scoot Henderson last October.
Victor Wembanyama says he's been contacted about teaming up.
"Yeah, I've received some messages -- even from prospects. It's a whole new world that I'm eager to discover. One day, I'll have to be involved in this [roster construction], I guess."
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