Thursday Bolts – 9.17.15
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com on the Wizards’ new facility: “The $55 million Entertainment and Sports Arena will serve as a practice facility for the Wizards, home court for the WNBA’s Mystics and venue for concerts and other entertainment that is estimated to attract as many as 380,000 people annually. And certainly Wizards fans will be hoping that the new facility will lure the biggest free-agent-to-be on the market next summer back home to D.C. -– Kevin Durant. The addition of a shiny new practice facility will be a nice perk for free agents to consider. The Wizards are positioned to be a contender for Durant, who was born in the District and went to high school in the area. The Wizards have been trying to maintain cap flexibility and are expected to have enough space to offer a maximum contract to a free agent next summer.”
Perk on Anthony Davis: “To be honest, with his basketball game he got a lot of KG in him. His personality has got a lot of Kevin Durant in him. It’s different.”
Steph Curry’s got jokes. Speaking of, Curry’s re-upped with Under Armour through 2024.
Mark Woods for ESPN.com: “Two will be in late June and early September, theoretically allowing NBA players of all nationalities to represent their country in the offseason. The other two will be in November and February. And while most leagues around the world will simply shut down for a 10-day period to accommodate FIBA play, that concept has been deemed a non-starter in the NBA — with an early idea of allowing an out to go on national duty during All-Star Weekend taken off the table. Utilizing a single squad drafted in from the D-League, rather than dipping into the NCAA or bringing back U.S. exports from overseas, is now seen as the most viable alternative solution.”
Find out what Emma Stone, Chris Christie and Kevin Durant have to say.
Media day is officially Sept. 28 and first day of camp is Sept. 29.
R.K. Anthony of Welcome to Loud City: “The Sony logo is simple and unique. When you see it you think electronics. Nike’s “swoosh?” Again, simple, unique and immediately makes you think of athletic footwear. I wonder how far the last junior executive flew when security tossed him/her out the door for even mentioning changing one of those logos. The OKC shield is also simple and unique and represents the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embellish it if you must, but don’t dump it. Ditching the shield would be like… changing the name of the local baseball team…. oh wait…. someone already did that…. twice…. hmmm.”