Dominique Wilkins on Zaccharie Risacher: ‘He’s young, man. I mean how old is this kid, 19? He’s skilled, but you’ve got to be able to give him time. Give him time, he’s going to be just fine, believe me, he’s going to be just fine.
September 19, 2024 | 4:38 pm EDT Update
Sasha Vezenkov on leaving NBA for Europe: I prefer to be in a competitive environment
Sasha Vezenkov talked to Eurohoops about his decision to leave the NBA and return to the familiar environment of Europe. “These are nice dilemmas. I filter through all the possibilities. It gives you joy when you return to a familiar environment where you are loved. I prefer to be in a competitive environment, to fight for titles, and to feel important. I didn’t know if I would have an opportunity in the NBA like the one I gave myself. This is what I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it with Olympiacos. This is my home,” Vezenkov said.
Former Nets player Reggie Perry signed with Chinese team Shenzhen Leopards for the 2024-25 season.
Nick DePaula: After his first ANTA event in China, @Kyrie Irving signed hundreds of autographs outside for his fans. “I know it looks crazy — but there’s a lot of love out here.”
September 19, 2024 | 4:29 pm EDT Update
Jaden Shackelford joins Suns
Michael Scotto: The Phoenix Suns have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Jaden Shackelford, league sources told @hoopshype. Shackelford spent the past two seasons with the OKC Blue in the G League where he averaged 14 points per game and helped the team win the 2024 G League championship.
Oscar Robertson: If you're making $50 million a year, there's no such thing as load management
Oscar Robertson: “I think if you’re making $50 million a year, there’s no such thing as load management. I think sometimes players owe it to the fans who come to see you play. Because whether you want to say so or not, the NBA owners and players are in this thing together. Not separately. We understood that when I was in the Players’ Association. We tried to convince them we weren’t fighting the owners—we were trying to do something to better basketball.”
Oscar Robertson: “I get a telegram that says if I go down and play in the Dixie Classics, they’re going to shoot me. So I gave it to the coach. But later that day, I get a knock on the door, and here’s a white kid from Alabama, some Alabama fraternity, who came to get an autograph from me. What do you think I did? I autographed it for him. As long as I live, I’ll never forget that.”
Oscar Robertson: “The draft hurt me. I’ll tell you why, because I went to a team that was in disarray, and here I am coming out of school. I was Player of the Year, of course, but I had to carry them. I had to sacrifice my game to make us a unit. And then after I got there, the press can be very difficult for you when you’re a star, especially in certain areas of the country back then. They want you to win, they want you to do well, but they don’t want you to do too well.”
Oscar Robertson: “Wilt Chamberlain was putting on a show for people. He carried the NBA for years, and I’ve always said this: the year he averaged 50 points a game, my good friend Bill Russell won MVP because they won the championship. But when you average 50 points in a season and I average a triple-double that same year, it’s unbelievable. And people don’t say much about it.”
The American Airlines Center, host to the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars since 2001, will undergo renovations throughout the next calendar year in an effort to keep the facility in the best shape possible.
