Thursday Bolts – 7.14.11

KD said he was going to take the playing overseas thing real slow: “We’ll see, I would like to try something new,” said Durant, a two-time NBA scoring champion. “But, of course, my first option is playing in the NBA. So now I want to see how this lockout goes. If not, I will make a decision on where I am going to play basketball. D-Will, you know, he made his decision quick and I am sure you are going to see a lot of guys follow in his footsteps. So, he’s very brave to be the first guy to do it.”

The Thunder didn’t win an ESPY last night for best game. Some stupid NFL game did. However, Eric Maynor did show up wearing these shoes.

Here’s Russell Westbrook at the ESPYs with his brother. Also, evidently he met Justin Bieber.

Don’t worry, if you buy tickets, you’ll get a refund if the season’s canceled: “The opportunity to receive a refund plus interest is a league-wide policy. Oklahoma City Thunder officials were unavailable to comment on the amount of interest they would offer their season-ticket holders, but the NBA has suggested a number to its teams. All of the league’s teams are under a gag order to not speak publicly about anything related to the lockout.”

Nazr Mohammed went on a tweet binge supporting NBA employees after the Bobcats laid off their announcer: “Everybody wants loyalty from the athletes in sports but no one says anything when teams don’t show any,” Mohammed tweeted. “Team trade players and uproot their families. People are losing their jobs bcuz of lockouts. But when a player chooses to sign somewhere else then he’s not loyal. Teams r firing people & not renewing contracts becuz of a lockout, that they imposed. Is that loyal?”

Mark Cuban hanging with his Mavericks. Wonder how much he’ll get fined.

Jerry Colangelo has started trying to put together the USA’s Olympic roster: “The current U.S. roster is about 30 players, but Colangelo said there are truly closer to 18 candidates for London. Referring to the roster from Beijing, he said “three or four of those spots are vulnerable,” but then named seven players from 2010 who would immediately be leading contenders for spots: Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Lamar Odom and Chauncey Billups.”

Chris Ballard of SI wrote a great piece on aging: “The opposing team’s 20-year-old point guard advances upon me. He is quicker than I am, can jump higher and, based on how fresh he looks, isn’t feeling the heat. Once upon a time, back when I played in college, I would have owned this kid. Not now. Now I cannot guard both the shot and the drive. Instead, I pick one and hope. That is what I rely on now: hope.”