NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Durant heads All-NBA team
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the Most Valuable Player and winner of four scoring titles in five seasons, highlights the 2013-14 All-NBA first team announced by the league Wednesday.
Durant was the lone unanimous selection, appearing on all 125 ballots as a first-team pick. Miami Heat forward LeBron James garnered 124 first-team votes. Joining Durant and James on the first team are Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah.
The second team consisted of guards Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, forwards Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves and center Dwight Howard of the Rockets.
—When the Lakers call, Larry Brown always listens, merely out of respect for one of his former players — Los Angeles general manager Mitch Kupchak.
“I’ve always kept in touch with Mitch; I admire the hell out of him,” the 73-year-old Brown told USA Today. “I talk to Mitch all the time. … (But) we’re not talking about coaching the Lakers. I’ve read some of the names. They’ve got a long list of good people to choose from, and I’m here at SMU. I want to win a national championship.”
ESPN reported Brown could be of interest to Kupchak in the Lakers’ patient and apparently wide-reaching search for Mike D’Antoni’s replacement. Derek Fisher, who is scheduled to talk to the Knicks about coaching next season, spent last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder but played most of his career with the Lakers. He’s one of many former players, including Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott, who could talk to Kupchak about the job.
—The lawyer for banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling said Wednesday no legal action will be pursued against the NBA.
In an email to ESPN, Max Blecher said Sterling reached a settlement with wife Shelly on the sale of the team and that he received assurance that the league would not sue him. Sterling said a day earlier he is ready to move on from the sale of his franchise, a pending deal worth $2 billion.
“I feel fabulous, I feel very good,” Sterling said Tuesday night at a dinner for nonprofit Shelter Partnerships when asked how he felt about his wife, Shelly, selling the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Everything is just the way it should be, really. It may have worked out differently, but it’s good. It’s all good.”
—The Houston Rockets declined the 2014-15 contract option of Chandler Parsons, who becomes a restricted free agent in July. The Rockets have an opportunity to match any contract offer to retain Parsons.
According to Yahoo Sports, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey decided to decline Parsons’ option with the intent of clearing cap room to make a run at a marquee free agent. The 2013 offseason was dubbed the Summer of Dwight, with the Rockets landing top free agent Dwight Howard with a maximum value deal.
