Nuggets staff partake in Juneteenth march

This year, Juneteenth is finally getting the increased attention that it clearly deserves.

Here’s the Denver Post with an off-court Nuggets report:

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, assistant general manager Calvin Booth and other team staffers took part in a silent Juneteenth march through Denver on Friday.

The holiday commemorates the day — June 19th 1865 — when the last enslaved African Americans in the U.S. learned of their freedom.

For the first time, the NBA is joining the commemoration by treating it as a holiday and granting all league office employees paid time off. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment treated it as a holiday as well, and Malone encouraged members of the organization to participate.

New Detroit Pistons general manager is Troy Weaver

The Detroit Pistons hired Troy Weaver as their new General Manager today.

“Troy is an outstanding executive with an exceptional track record for identifying and developing talent,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “In talking with Troy, he’s got both the skill and temperament to lead, and the confidence and creativity to work collaboratively with others. We’re excited for him to take the reins as General Manager of the Pistons at this important moment. Ed and the team have done excellent work creating flexibility with our roster and establishing a clear direction. Troy comes aboard to help take us to the next level.”

Weaver, 52, joins the Pistons after spending the past 12 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), including the last three-plus years as the club’s Vice President of Basketball Operations. Previously, he served eight seasons as Vice President/Assistant General Manager with responsibilities that included coordinating player-personnel matters, NBA Draft preparation, free agency planning and summer league roster construction.

Per the Detroit Free Press, “Weaver’s reputation for spotting talent in the NBA draft and facilitating an environment to help young players develop stands out. The Pistons will potentially have a top-five draft pick and more than $30 million in cap space, so Weaver will have ample opportunity to reshape the roster this offseason.”

“It’s an honor for me to join a franchise with the history and tradition of the Detroit Pistons,” said Weaver. “I’m excited for the challenge of building this team into a consistent winner and assembling the pieces to compete at a very high level. We’ll get to work right away, evaluating opportunities and installing systems that will make us all successful.”

And per the Detroit News, “Weaver is regarded for his decisions in player personnel, which starting in his first season with the Thunder in 2008, as he pushed for drafting Russell Westbrook with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 draft. At the time, Westbrook wasn’t projected as an elite NBA prospect, but Weaver identified him as a breakout star.”

Ed Stefanski, Senior Advisor to Tom Gores, noted that Weaver’s experience over multiple years in Oklahoma City and around the NBA make him a great fit to help move the Pistons franchise forward.

“Troy’s basketball knowledge and experience will help this organization in all facets of strategic planning and roster development this coming season and beyond,” said Stefanski. “He has a good eye for talent, is a great communicator and is team oriented. I look forward to working with him as we focus on achieving our collective goals.”

Red Claws guard Tremont Waters wins 2019-20 G League Rookie of Year award

Maine Red Claws guard Tremont Waters has been named the 2019-20 NBA G League Rookie of the Year, the G League announced today. The award, voted on by the league’s 28 head coaches and general managers, recognizes the first-year professional who most significantly contributed to his team’s success during the season.

Waters (5-10, 175, LSU), a two-way player with the Boston Celtics, averaged 18.0 points, 7.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.89 steals in 36 games for Maine. He ranked sixth in the NBA G League in assists per game and 14th in steals per game. Waters registered 10 games with at least 20 points and seven assists, including a season-high 33-point, seven-assist performance in a 155-131 road win over the Greensboro Swarm on Nov. 27.

Behind the 22-year-old Waters, the Red Claws finished in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-14 record. Waters was named the NBA G League Player of the Month for November and earned a spot on the 2019-20 Midseason All-NBA G League Team in the Eastern Conference.

Boston selected Waters in the second round (51st pick overall) of NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm after he averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.91 steals as a sophomore at LSU in the 2018-19 season. Signed to a two-way contract last July, Waters has appeared in 10 games with the Celtics this season.

Waters is the fourth Maine player to be selected as the NBA G League Rookie of the Year, joining Abdel Nader (2016-17), Tim Frazier (2014-15) and DeShawn Sims (2010-11).

Waters appeared in 36 of Maine’s 42 games this season. The NBA G League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on June 4. The regular season was suspended on March 12 and had been scheduled to conclude on March 28.

Salt Lake City Stars forward Jarrell Brantley and South Bay Lakers forward Devontae Cacok finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2019-20 NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award.

Knicks head coaching job candidates

The Knicks need a new head coach. Whoever gets the job will be in a rebuilding situation, and presumably focused primarily on developing young talent, because that’ll be a more realistic goal than one that involves racking up lots of wins. It’s a high-profile job, regardless of the players on the roster. New York City and the Knicks will always be in a spotlight.

Here’s the New York Post:

Leon Rose and the Knicks are widening their net for prospective head coaches, adding fresh names to an experienced pool that has grown to seven known candidates.

Having already been linked to established names such as favorite Tom Thibodeau, former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, interim coach Mike Miller and former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, they are now planning to interview a trio of assistant coaches: Ime Udoka of the 76ers, Pat Delany of the Magic and Chris Fleming of the Bulls, according to The Athletic and ESPN…

The 62-year-old Thibodeau, who previously coached the Timberwolves and the Bulls, is considered the front-runner for the job.

The Knicks this past season were led in scoring by forward Marcus Morris (19.6 PPG), forward Julius Randle (19.5 PPG) and rookie shooting guard RJ Barrett (14.3 PPG).

The team’s primary young talent is Barrett and center Mitchell Robinson.

Expect the Knicks to at least attempt big moves in the free agency department. Many of the team’s best players last season were on short-term contracts. Much of the roster is subject to change.

T.J. Parker gets head coaching job for team in France

Here’s Euroleague.net reporting that Tony Parker’s brother T.J. has been promoted to head coach for the team Tony owns in France:

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne announced that it has promoted assistant coach T.J. Parker to become the team’s newest head coach. He replaces Zvezdan Mitrovic, who was dismissed last month. Frederic Fauthoux will serve as Parker’s chief assistant coach. The younger brother of team president Tony Parker, the 36-year-old T.J. Parker has been a member of ASVEL’s coaching staff in different capacities since 2013.

Utah Jazz designate Juneteenth as annual paid company holiday

The Utah Jazz announced today its plan to designate Juneteenth as an annual paid company holiday for its employees, starting with its observance on Friday, June 19.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is considered the oldest national holiday commemorating emancipation from slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and declared that the Civil War was over and that all those enslaved were now free.

“In the midst of the national conversation and calls for racial justice, our franchise has made the decision to pause, work to further educate ourselves, and reflect on our country’s race relations both past and present by observing Juneteenth,” said Utah Jazz President Jim Olson. “This is an important milestone in our history and another step for us to learn more about freedom for all and the fight for equality, and ideally be part of helping to create meaningful change.”

Sacramento Kings designate Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday

The Sacramento Kings today announced the designation of a company-wide annual paid holiday to observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 19, the oldest nationally celebrated holiday commemorating emancipation from slavery in the United States.

“We are proud to celebrate Juneteenth, honoring Black history and further committing ourselves to creating positive meaningful change,” said Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis. “The Kings remain dedicated to working with our community to address racial inequity through sustained action.”

Per the team, the anniversary will provide Kings members with an opportunity to reflect, learn more about addressing racial inequity and participate in civic engagement.

Bill Russell responds to Kendrick Perkins on most athlete NBA player ever

Here’s Boston.com reporting on a fun interaction between NBA legend Bill Russell and retired player Kendrick Perkins:

Bill Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA championships, and also won a 1956 gold medal with the U.S. men’s basketball team. He’s also not afraid to make his own case when the discussion of “most athletic player in NBA history” is brought up.

After fellow former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins tweeted his opinion that LeBron James is the league’s most athletic player ever, Russell responded.

“In ’56 I could have made the Olympics in high jump but turned it down to play basketball instead,” Russell reminded Perkins.

While a student at the University of San Francisco, Russell competed in several track and field events, excelling in the 400 meters and the high jump…

Perkins reacted to Russell with a new realization: He agreed.

Christ Koumadje wins 2019-20 G League Defensive Player of the Year award

Delaware Blue Coats rookie center Christ Koumadje has been named the 2019-20 NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA G League announced today. He earned the honor in a vote by the league’s 28 head coaches and general managers.

Koumadje (7-4, 270, Florida State) led the NBA G League in blocked shots per game (4.0) and total blocks (133) to go with 11.3 points and 10.9 rebounds in 33 games. He ranked 10th in the NBA G League in defensive rebounds per game (7.1). On Feb. 1, Koumadje recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 20 rebounds and an NBA G League season-high 12 blocks in a 111-103 road victory over the Erie BayHawks.

Behind Koumadje, the Blue Coats topped the NBA G League in blocks per game (7.3), finished second in opponents’ field goal percentage (44.0) and ranked ninth in defensive rating (107.4).

A Chad native, the 23-year-old Koumadje joined the Blue Coats after participating in NBA Summer League 2019 and the 2019 preseason with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats are the NBA G League affiliate of the 76ers.

Koumadje appeared in 33 of Delaware’s 43 games this season. The NBA G League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on June 4. The regular season was suspended on March 12 and had been scheduled to conclude on March 28.

Canton Charge guard-forward Sir’Dominic Pointer and Westchester Knicks forward Kenny Wooten finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2019-20 NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver likes to use a flip phone

Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting on Phoenix Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver’s regular use of a flip phone, as opposed to something a bit more technical and modern:

Sarver recently revealed why he chooses to use a flip phone in an interview with the Suns’ Lindsey Smith in a recent entry of the team’s video production: The Outlet.

“I know, people make fun of that,” Sarver said during the interview. “Here’s the honest reason. The honest reason is I don’t want to have a device on me that I can get on the internet and I can look at emails, because it is too distracting. And for someone like me who has a little ADD, if I am with people, I need to be with people. I can’t be constantly looking at my phone. Listen, the technology of these phones and everything are great, they do a lot of stuff, but they also sometimes can interfere with your ability to have one-on-one conversation in meetings.”

The larger point here is worth considering. Whatever your prime focus is during a given moment, whether something fun like watching basketball or serious like a business deal, it’s always effective to eliminate additional distractions.