Monday Bolts – 2.16.15
Dan Devine of BDL: “Reasonable people can differ about Westbrook’s demeanor and fashion sense, but it’s indisputable that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard most certainly did great things on Sunday, earning Most Valuable Player honors after leading the Western Conference to a 163-158 victory over the East in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in New York. Just how supercharged was Westbrook at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Sunday? Amped up enough to literally hit his head on the backboard while throwing down a monster dunk.”
James Herbert of CBSSports.com: “This was Westbrook at his furious best. He mean-mugged after baskets, he threw his arms in the air in disgust after misses. It was everything that people love and hate about him, but the numbers certainly gave his supporters more ammunition. The general intensity level in MSG was not high for most of the night, but Westbrook can’t help himself. He can’t coast. Funny, he said earlier this weekend that he wanted to have a relaxing stay in New York.”
KD took some shots at the media.
Greg Howard of Deadspin: “And that’s a good thing, because it’s more valuable when someone tells you how they honestly feel than when they smile in your face, and also because Durant doesn’t owe any would-be jock jockeys a damn thing. And besides, when talking to reporters from around the country who swooped in to New York to rub shoulders with young athletes who are actually good at their jobs and to get free stuff en route to penning one or more meaningless columns, the “you guys don’t know shit” stance isn’t even wrong.”
Sports media professor Brian Moritz on it: “1. Durant is right. Reporters don’t know shit. That’s why we ask questions to find shit out. Journalists are not experts, but their job is to talk to people who are experts or have experience and report what they say and feel. And when players don’t answer questions, or they act like it’s a burden to and don’t tell reporters shit, the reporters are left with less information to write about – which in turns, leads to them looking like they don’t know shit. It’s a classic circle – players don’t like talking to reporters, and then get mad at what reporters write.”
Paul Flannery of SB Nation: “Perhaps that’s the way it has to be for Durant and the Thunder. We’ve been waiting on their arrival for so long that maybe it will take these kind of difficult circumstances to bring out their best. They have always operated with the luxury of time on their side, but even they have an expiration date. That left KD defending what he and Russell Westbrook have accomplished over the years, which in many ways should be beyond reproach at this point. The unlikeliest of soul mates, KD and Russ have carved out a strong working relationship where others have long predicted doom. Yet, as impressive as their run has been, there is an obvious hole at the top of their resumé.”
Ethan Strauss of ESPN.com: “Kevin Durant surveyed the massive media scrum, laughed and shook his head before taking a seat before his awaiting throng. The interview area resembled something like a cattle stampede in a discotheque, packed beyond belief, and featuring more swinging elbows than a 1980s playoff game. He then held court on his All-Star performance and other Thunder matters. What he declined to discuss was the media itself, a frequent topic of his recent interviews.”
Ohm Youngmusik of ESPN.com on Westbrook: “During a time in the NBA when elite point guards are in vogue, Westbrook oozed supreme athleticism even on a court filled with the greatest stars in the world. Coming off the bench for the West, Westbrook made 11 of his first 15 shots and scored an All-Star record 27 points in the first half to take home the All-Star MVP honors. And he literally soared high above other All-Stars, throwing down ridiculous dunks and nearly hitting his head on the backboard on a thunderous one-handed alley-oop finish.”