Ashish Mathur Articles - Page 188

A big reason why veteran forwards Jeff Green and Ed Davis signed with the Utah Jazz in free agency is because of the presence of point guard Mike Conley. Both Green and Davis say Conley has “no ego,” is a good person on and off the court, and a guy who will do whatever it […]

DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets this summer, breaking the hearts of every New York Knicks fan in the world. Jordan says he, KD and Irving ultimately signed with the Nets because of the culture general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have created. “Not to knock […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey says Russell Westbrook plays with a will to win on a nightly basis which is unparalleled in the NBA. There’s arguably no one in the league who plays with the passion and energy which Westbrook has. It’s one of the reasons Oklahoma City Thunder fans loved Westbrook. Win or […]

There are no lingering health concerns with Houston Rockets superstar point guard Russell Westbrook after his two offseason surgeries, according to Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic. Westbrook underwent surgery on his left hand to repair a torn ligament in a finger and also had a minor procedure on his surgically repaired right knee. The Rockets […]

Houston Rockets swingman Gerald Green has “nothing but good things to say” about Chris Paul, who is now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Green says Paul is one of the best point guards he’s ever played with and doesn’t get enough credit for the impact he had on the Rockets organization. “The type […]

All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are gone, but Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum has high expectations for himself and the team next season. Tatum says he’s going to make the All-Star team and the Celtics are going to the NBA Finals in 2019-20. https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1153861447874678793 The Celtics replaced Irving with Kemba Walker and Horford […]

Houston Rockets superstar point guard Russell Westbrook doesn’t care about all the changes which took place in the NBA this summer. This offseason alone, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell changed teams. Westbrook, though, only cares about one change: him joining the Rockets with […]

The Houston Rockets would reportedly only go over the luxury tax line if they could get veteran small forward Andre Iguodala, according to Clutch Fans. Iguodala is with the Memphis Grizzlies and owed $17,185,185 next season. It’s unclear if Memphis is willing to buy out Iguodala. There have been rumors the Grizzlies are looking for […]

Earlier this offseason, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said there was a 100 percent guarantee Chris Paul would return next season. The Rockets, of course, wound up trading Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade. Morey says he probably should have put Paul’s return to Houston at 99.9 percent […]

Russell Westbrook says his relationship with Oklahoma City and the Thunder organization is “something that will stay with me the rest of my life.” Westbrook is a Thunder legend and was more than just a basketball player to OKC. He was an idol and hero to all the kids in Oklahoma City. The former MVP […]

The Houston Rockets plan to work out and practice together before the start of training camp, according to Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic. The Rockets have done this the past few seasons. Last year, Houston trained in the Bahamas before the start of training camp. The last few offseasons (before the start of training camp), […]

Houston Rockets star point guard Russell Westbrook says most people don’t know he’s a nice guy off the court. On the court, Westbrook is one of the fiercest competitors we have ever seen in the NBA. Other than the ball itself, Westbrook has no friends on the court and will do whatever it takes to […]

Houston Rockets superstar point guard Russell Westbrook says his trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder was a crazy process, but a collaborative effort. Westbrook says the trade talks came quickly and moving to Houston was the best decision for his career. Westbrook on the trade: “It was a crazy process, but a collaborative effort. It […]

At his introductory press conference with the Houston Rockets on Friday, former MVP Russell Westbrook was asked about his thoughts on the city of Houston. Westbrook quickly responded by saying it’s “hot as hell.” The reporters who were in attendance couldn’t help but laugh: Russ' thoughts on Houston so far? "It's hot as hell" 😂 […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey began the Russell Westbrook press conference on Friday by thanking Chris Paul. Morey said to get a superstar player like Westbrook, the Rockets had to give up a superb talent like Paul. Daryl Morey opens with praise for Chris Paul, adding "To get something great you have to give […]

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Paul George admits he “was a little nervous” when the Indiana Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard in the 2011 NBA Draft. George says he was nervous because he and Leonard play the same position. The Pacers wound up trading Leonard to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill. Fast forward to […]

Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says the Clippers operated under the league’s rules in their pursuit of superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard. Frank says the Clippers never had a conversation with Leonard or his camp during the regular season or before the free agency period started on June 30. “We didn’t […]

Denver Nuggets combo guard Monte Morris says there’s a reason why All-Star big man Nikola Jokic is one of the best passers in the league. Jokic, who has established himself as an elite playmaker at the center position, apparently knows every team’s defensive scheme. “(Nikola Jokic) will tell you, ‘Cut this way. I’m going to […]

To say Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti is excited about young point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be an understatement. With Russell Westbrook and Paul George gone, the Thunder are handing the keys to the franchise to Gilgeous-Alexander, who is only 21-years-old. “We’re really excited about him,” Presti said, via Maddie Lee of the […]

The Portland Trail Blazers officially signed veteran big man Pau Gasol on Thursday. Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey released a statement on the move. “Pau is a future Hall of Famer that brings invaluable championship experience and an elite skill set and basketball IQ to our roster,” Olshey said, via Blazers.com. Among all-time […]

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers says the 2019-20 Clippers have “a different energy” than the Lob City group which was led by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Rivers joined that Lob City group, while he helped create this new Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. “It’s a different […]

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers doesn’t know new superstar Kawhi Leonard that well yet, but the championship coach knows exactly the type of person he can be for the Clippers. Rivers says Leonard is an unselfish guy who understands it takes everyone on the team to win the title, and is willing to […]

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers says the “Lob City” group — headlined by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — never understood the urgency to win. Paul, Griffin and Jordan never led the Clippers past the second round of the playoffs. LAC is title contenders for the first time in franchise history […]

Small forward Kyle Kuzma says the Los Angeles Lakers have to “make the playoffs” first before talking about winning the championship. With Anthony Davis in the fold next to LeBron James, the Lakers are now title contenders. Kuzma, though, says the purple-and-gold can’t get ahead of themselves. “We got to make the playoffs,” Kuzma said […]

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti can’t predict how many years veteran point guard Chris Paul will be in OKC. The Thunder acquired Paul from the Houston Rockets in the blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade. Paul has three years left on his deal. He’ll make $38,506,482 next season, $41,358,814 in 2020-21 and has a player […]

Veteran small forward Vince Carter is “still working” on finding a team to play for in 2019-20. Carter wants to play one more season in the NBA before retiring. The former high-flyer played with the Atlanta Hawks in 2018-19. “We are still working on it,” Carter told Andrew Marchand of The New York Post in […]

The Milwaukee Bucks officially signed veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver on Thursday. Bucks general manager Jon Horst released a statement on the move. “Kyle is an elite three-point shooter who will play an impactful role for our team,” Horst said, via Bucks.com. “In addition to bringing tremendous experience, Kyle is familiar with Coach Bud’s system having […]

What does a Los Angeles Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George look like? According to the two superstars, the Clippers are going to play hard on both ends of the floor every night and with a lot of grit. “Playing hard on both ends of the floor,” Leonard told Rachel Nichols of […]

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Paul George’s mom had a stroke when he was just a child. As a result, Paulette George hasn’t been able to travel as much to watch her son play. That’s why George is thrilled to be back home in Los Angeles playing for the Clippers. George’s parents will be at […]

The Los Angeles Clippers sent members of their organization to watch Kawhi Leonard play multiple times last season with the Toronto Raptors. During his free-agent meeting, the Clippers talked to Leonard about what they saw when watching him play. Leonard admits it was pretty cool to hear that: “You know just showing, talking to me […]

Los Angeles Clippers star small forward Kawhi Leonard had no idea why a helicopter was following his car in Toronto. When Leonard landed in Toronto to meet with the Toronto Raptors at a hotel, a helicopter followed his car from the airport to the hotel. There were a bunch of fans outside the hotel as […]

Paul George says the chance to play with Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers “seemed like an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.” George says he and Leonard spoke during Leonard’s free agency. Once Leonard told George he was leaning toward going back home to California, that’s when George requested a trade from the […]

Los Angeles Clippers superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard says the idea of playing with Paul George first started back in the summer of 2017 when he tried to get the San Antonio Spurs to trade for George after PG requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers. George wound up getting traded to the Oklahoma City […]

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke with the local media on Thursday and talked about why he granted small forward Paul George’s trade request. The Thunder traded George to the Los Angeles Clippers and got an unbelievable haul. OKC acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and five first-round picks: Sam Presti on why he […]

Many around the NBA believe the Oklahoma City Thunder’s deal with Paul George last summer came with an agreement: if you want out tell us when/where and we’ll accommodate, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN. George re-signed with the Thunder on a four-year, $136.9 million contract. The six-time All-Star requested a trade to the Los […]

Chris Paul has said goodbye to the Houston Rockets, while saying hello to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chris Paul says farewell to Houston and is excited to play in OKC 🙏 (via @CP3) pic.twitter.com/XqFybf1IhW — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 25, 2019 The Thunder acquired Chris Paul from the Rockets in the blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade. ESPN […]

Two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard says he “was very close” to signing with the Toronto Raptors or Los Angeles Lakers this summer, but the opportunity to play with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers sealed the deal for him to come to the Clips. Leonard signed a three-year deal with the Clippers. Kawhi on […]

Jamal Murray officially signed his five-year contract extension with the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Murray received a five-year, $195.65 million maximum contract from the Nuggets. The sharpshooter says he “can’t wait to shoot more arrows” for the fans in Denver. “I want to thank the man above for showing my family and I how life […]

Los Angeles Clippers superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard will approach load management on a game-by-game basis next season. Leonard was load managed by the Toronto Raptors last season and it helped the three-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year be fresh for the postseason. We can expect the Clippers the load manage Leonard […]