Advertisement - scroll for more content
Chris Haynes: So, 2014 happens, 2014 comes around, and we’re about to get right into the 2014-15 season, and Jerome calls me and tells me, ‘Hey, the Blazers are signing Steve Blake.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, cool, Steve Blake is coming back. He’s a fan favorite in Portland,’ I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s a nice pickup, a nice backup to Dame.’ He was like, ‘They’re giving him No. 25.’ And it’s still not registering to me. He was like, ‘That’s my number, man.’ I was like, ‘Oooooh.’ He was like, ‘They still ain’t put—‘ like, he was hurt. He was hurt. This is 2014-15 season. He was hurt that they gave Blake his number, No. 25, and basically saying that there’s no immediate plans to retire his jersey.
Apparently, the two guards butted heads in the middle of one of their training sessions, which Arenas recalled on his No Chill Podcast: “During practice, I elbowed Steve Blake and he swung at me. I was like, ‘Damn, wait hold on.’ Oh, really? Did the white boy just throw a punch at me? Is that how we’re working here, right?” Gilbert Arenas said, via Fadeaway World.
Arenas recalled a story from when he and Blake were teammates on the Washington Wizards during a recent episode of his 'No Chill Gil' podcast. They got into a fight at practice and how Blake reacted afterward took Arenas by surprise. "During practice I elbowed Steve Blake and he swung at me," Arenas said. "I was like 'damn, wait hold on.' Oh, really? Did [he] just throw a punch at me? Is that how we're working here? We're going through it, like wrestling on the floor. Practiced ended. He's like 'alright, man, y'all want to go to Legal Seafood?'"
Arenas couldn't believe Blake wanted to break bread and eat shrimp that soon after a fight. "What are you talking to me like that for? Don't be talking to me like that. He was like 'let's go to Legal Seafood, food on me; let's go through these plays,'" Arenas said. Arenas explained how those who knew Blake better had to fill him in. That's just how he rolls.
Advertisement
The Suns announced Wednesday the sale of their G League team, Northern Arizona Suns, and they no longer have assistant coaches Steve Blake and Larry Greer on Phoenix's coaching staff. The moves come as the Suns are spending on facilities while facing lost revenue after the season was put on pause in March.
Monty Williams credited Steve Blake and Larry Greer for helping the Phoenix Suns establish a culture in their first season under him. "What they brought (to the team), especially the first 65 games and laying the foundation for our team and our program was invaluable," Williams said after Saturday's practice for the NBA restart at Walt Disney World Resort. However, the Suns have moved forward without the two assistants. "We're thankful for their contributions, (but) at the same time, everybody has to adapt in this league," Williams said.
Williams declined to explain why Blake and Greer are no longer on the staff. "The details of it all, I don't want to get into," Williams said. "Organizations go through change and there are times where guys have to make decisions that are best for them and their families. It's a tough loss to not have those guys, but those decisions have to be made and as a leader, I have to respect what's best for the organization and what's best for the individuals."
Steve Blake and Larry Greer are no longer on the Phoenix Suns' coaching staff, team officials confirmed Thursday evening. Blake and Greer were in their first season on the Suns' staff under Williams. Greer was an assistant at Arizona State from 2012-15 before working as an advance scout with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-17) and as advance scout (2017-18) and assistant (2018-19) for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bobby Marks: The Golden State front office is not accustomed to making deals during the regular season. The last time they made a trade during the regular season was February 2014- Kent Bazemore/MarShon Brooks for Steve Blake.
Advertisement
Steve Blake: "Management made some great changes for our roster this year. Ricky Rubio is an ultimate point guard pass first guy that;'s gonna create and make guys have fun when they're on the court. And we have a couple guys who are going to demand a double-team, so I think we're surrounding those players with guys that can help us win."
The Phoenix Suns today announced Head Coach Monty Williams’ coaching staff, naming Willie Green, Darko Rajakovic, Mark Bryant, Randy Ayers, Larry Greer and Steve Blake as assistant coaches, and Riccardo Fois and Ben Strong as player development coaches.
SPLASH ALERT 💦💦💦 Steve Blake (@SteveBlake5), hard-nosed 13-year NBA vet, has joined the BIG3 Draft Pool for #BIG3Season3
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement