Good afternoon, Nets fans. Here’s the best news and notes from around the ‘net, following a week in London:
- The Nets announced this afternoon that they’ve arrived safely in New York.
- Jason Terry says Nets needed to lose before they could discover how to win: “That is our identity – it’s grit, it’s determination, it is championship resolve and I think we have it to a man. It just took some beating down to bring it out of us and we were tired of getting beat up and I think that’s what you’ve seen out of us lately.”
- Garnett finding himself through soccer: “For the first time in a long time, I was a fan of something other than basketball and I enjoyed the experiences. I wish it wasn’t so media-driven and I actually could’ve enjoyed it a little bit more. But it was cool to be a kid again, to have those feelings again.”
- KG visits Chelsea FC: “Garnett’s affection for The Blues grew out of his friendship with the club’s former striker Didier Drogba, established on a previous visit to London in 2007 with the Boston Celtics.”
- Is Alan Anderson the new Kerry Kittles?: “Over a decade ago slashing was the name of the game in the NBA, and Kittles was one of the best to ever do it. His scoring averages were modest at best during his career, but when the game was on the line he wanted the ball in his hands. As a stout perimeter defender a lot of his energy was used to shut down the opponents’ best perimeter threat, and he did it well. Anderson has a lot of the same traits as Kittles, but he has yet to truly grasp the role that he would thrive in.”
- Jason Kidd, Gary Payton pass Oakland torch onto Damien Lillard: “Lillard is the product of a different time — more of a sniper than his predecessors, less of a stopper — but the same hard-bitten place. ‘You learn the history, and you learn that Oakland carries weight,’ he says. ‘It means you don’t get scared. You want to play one-on-one? We can do that. You want to fight after a game at the park with your cousins? I guess we can do that too.’ “
- Livingston gives all the credit to Kidd: “But this year I’m just trying to play good ball. Jason [Kidd] brought me here, I wouldn’t be here without him. I’m very grateful for that and I play hard for him.”
- Barclays breaks promise of $15 tickets: “Now, more than a year after the first Nets ball sailed through the air, the promise for those $15 tickets—guaranteed to be made available for every game regardless of how anticipated the match-up—are no more. The reason, ostensibly, is scalpers.”
- Kobe Bryant longs for rivalry: “Were you upset last June when the Celtics traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn? Even though you knew the day was coming eventually, did you shed a basketball tear at the end of the era and loss of a longshot last hurrah?
Well, you had company. Across the continent, Kobe Bryant felt your pain — and some of his own.”
