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Marcin Gortat: What was going through your mind going from being number one in Orlando to the Lakers where you're going to be number two. Dwight Howard: I was excited. I didn't even look at it as being one or two. That wasn't even my goal. Like coming into the team, I'm looking at it like, okay, I'm the youngest out of all the vets that I'm seeing. I see Kobe, Steve Nash, Gasol, Antawn Jamison… So for me, I'm looking at Kobe like, ‘All right, how much can I learn from him and the rest of these guys?’ Because obviously I feel like they're going to be closer to retirement than I am at this time in my career. So how can I learn from Kobe? How can I learn from Steve? What can I get from these guys? But at the time, I feel like, I wasn't getting anything. I don't know if they were thinking I wanted the ball every play or they were worried about what was being said. But I came in with the attitude like, I know Kobe going to have to get his plays, but we got Steve Nash, me and him going to get into pick and rolls because that's what me and him do best is to pick and roll action. Then we got Kobe who's the closer. So, I'm not tripping. But I think the media start twisting and turning every little situation into, oh man, they don't like each other, this, that, and the third. And I'm like, how can I not?
The Clippers currently have a James Harden Bobblehead Night scheduled for their February 22nd home game against the Orlando Magic. They have already had to cancel their plans for a Chris Paul Bobblehead Night on February 2nd.
Earvin Magic Johnson: I want to congratulate Mark Aguirre on his #24 jersey retirement with the Dallas Mavericks. I met Mark and Isiah Thomas 45 years ago after they were drafted to the NBA - we formed a friendship and started training in my hometown Lansing, MI and their hometown Chicago, IL that summer. Mark was a triple threat on the basketball court and virtually unstoppable. Look at how good God is, all three of us now have our jerseys retired by the teams we played for - myself with the Lakers, Isiah with the Pistons, and now Mark with the Mavericks!
Maxime Aubin: Jamahl Mosley talks about Noah Penda’s development curve: “Our coaches were just in the locker room talking about it, about what he’s capable of bringing defensively, his versatility, the fact that he can defend multiple positions. For the future, the idea is simply for him to keep simplifying his game. When he’s open, we want him to take and make his shots. If he’s not, we want him to move the ball or attack the rim and make the simple, quick decision. He’s going to keep progressing because he cares a lot about what he does, because he studies the game a lot. And I think his teammates trust him.”
NBA Communications: SCHEDULE UPDATE FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 1: The Orlando Magic at San Antonio Spurs game will now tip off at 9 p.m. ET due to Spurs’ travel issues today.
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Darko Milicic: I spent my whole life fighting against both opponents and prejudices. In Orlando, it happened 100 times—I’m a 7-footer who can rise up and shoot, but while I’m in the middle of taking a shot, the coach is screaming 'Down to Dwight! Down to Dwight!' I was subbed out a hundred times for it. I would shoot and score, then turn around and say, 'Forget Dwight, sub me out then!' How do you play with confidence when the coach is yelling at you while you are taking the shot? Dwight never leaves the paint; if he does, some tragedy happens. I couldn't believe they couldn't recognize that I could play on the perimeter and bring a new dimension to the game. It was ugly and unprofessional for a coach to scream at a player during a shot, especially a young one trying to find his way.
Darko Milicic: Orlando was a great period for me initially because I actually got to play. After a good stretch, the team actually offered me a $44 million contract over four years. I would have accepted it without even thinking about the money because I liked it there. But then, they suddenly pulled the offer. They said they were 'afraid' because my 'head wasn't stable.' They offered it and then they played with my head by taking it away. I stayed and played the next season quite well, and the coach told me at the exit meeting that the season wouldn't even start without me. But then he got fired, Stan Van Gundy came in, and he didn't want to see my face on a postage stamp. He wanted to 'exorcise' the gym because my name was on the roster. It’s fascinating how quickly a new coach can decide you have zero value.
Darko Milicic: When things ended in Orlando, I told my manager, 'Brother, send me anywhere but Memphis.' I knew Memphis was a 'shack'—a total tragedy for a player's career. Twenty days later, he calls me and says, 'You only have Memphis.' I said, 'Alright, if we are going down, let’s fall in style.' I went there and after a few games, I realized I couldn't live like that. The team was a disaster and I had to start making up injuries, like lower back pain, just to cope with the reality of being there. I had other offers, like a one-year deal in Philadelphia for $8 million, but I chose the three-year 'guaranteed' pile of money in Memphis out of a sense of security. I wasn't thinking realistically; I was just looking for a way to survive the 'bugs' in my own head and ensure my future.
Tom Osborn: The winter storm that has blanketed North Carolina with heavy snow is forcing the Spurs to stay in Charlotte overnight, a team spokesman said. No word yet on the status of Sunday's 3 p.m. game against Orlando at the Frost Bank Center.
Jason Beede: NEWS: The NBA says Sunday’s game between the #Magic and Spurs at Frost Bank Center will now tip off at 7 p.m. ET due to San Antonio’s travel issues because of inclement weather. The Spurs are stuck overnight in Charlotte, where they played earlier, due to a winter storm.
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Jason Beede: #Magic forward Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) remains OUT for Sunday’s game at San Antonio. He’ll miss his sixth in a row. Spurs likely won’t have an injury report until tomorrow because they played at Charlotte this afternoon.
There was a school of thought that Boston would look to shed salary at the deadline. But the Celtics have been taking the opposite approach recently, looking for ways to improve their roster. As others have noted, the Celtics have talked to teams about deals that would improve their front line. Also worth watching: what happens in Orlando. Goga Bitadze has been a DNP-CD in the past three games. New York had strong interest in Bitadze last offseason. The Knicks have had interest in New Orleans’ Yves Missi. If Orlando makes Bitadze available ahead of the deadline, logic tells you the Knicks would at least check in with the Magic.
Jason Beede: FINAL: #Magic 130, Raptors 120 Orlando looked dead in the water trailing by 14 points before it outscored Toronto 44-21 in the fourth quarter. Desmond Bane (32 points), Anthony Black (25), Wendell Carter Jr. (23) and Paolo Banchero (20) combine for 100 on ESPN.
With nine MLB teams still likely poised to abandon Main Street Sports Group, three sources said Friday their exit could create financial flexibility for Main Street to avoid immediate liquidation and pay NBA and NHL teams reduced rights fees the remainder of this season. “What is bad from MLB might be good for us,” said an NBA and NHL team source asking for anonymity due to the sensitivity around the topic, which has many industry stakeholders on edge.