Here is our regular look around the NBA — links to stories worth reading and notes to check out (stuff that did not get its own post here at PBT) — done in bullet point form. Because bloggers love bullet points more than Brazilians love soccer... okay, not that much....
• New Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson (who to me will always be a Long Beach Poly Jackrabbit, where I talked to him and saw him play) trolled LeBron James for some odd reason, and did it with a 2010 insult.
• The idea that Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan didn’t have talent around them when they won titles is just flat-out idiotic. Kobe needed Shaquille O’Neal to win his first, Pau Gasol and other veterans to win his second, and Phil Jackson to coach all those teams. Does that diminish what Kobe did? Not in the least. He helped take good rosters and made them great. Same with Jordan — the first year he left for baseball Scottie Pippin and the Bulls won 55 games and made the second round of the playoffs. They were not a bad team, Jordan elevated that team to legendary levels, he is arguably the greatest of all time, but nobody wins in the NBA alone. Nobody. That’s why this line of LeBron criticism is a waste. Also, why does it bother people so that LeBron and friends decided to take control of their own fates rather than work at the whim of billionaire owners? Is that how you run your life, never questioning your boss or looking for something better?
• DeMarcus Cousins wants to be part of Team USA this summer for the World Cup in Spain. It leads to an interesting question: How many true centers will Coach K bring? My guess is 1, we will play small a lot (Kevin Love at the five, small).
• This is very sad: The brother of former NBA player Dominic McGuire was shot and killed in his San Diego area apartment. While his child was asleep in the next room.
• More tragic news: The personal chef of the Heat’s Norris Cole was shot and killed at a Miami club.
• Great bit of writing from Brian Windhorst at ESPN on how LeBron James turned to Jerry West and Isiah Thomas — two guys who knew Finals pain — to help him deal with and improve off the 2011 Finals loss to the Mavericks.
• Speaking of great writing, Tom Haberstroh on Chris Bosh is a must read. Bosh is one of the most interesting, complex people in the league, a guy who refuses to be put in the two-dimensional box fans often reserve for players.
• Danilo Gallinari update:
#Nuggets F Danilo Gallinari's rehab is moving along as planned, & it's looking more & more like he'll definitely be ready for training camp.
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) June 4, 2014
• Among the interesting tidbits in this Grantland story about Lance Stephenson: The Hawks tested the trade waters for Al Horford last deadline.
• Tony Snell has gotten rid of the braids.
• Back in 2001 comedian Martin Lawrence tried to help recruit Chris Webber to the Pistons. The effort failed, but the front office was so grateful that in 2004 they gave him a championship ring.
• LeBron James went to the movies. That’s news, I guess.
• Shane Larkin is spending the off-season working on his ability to drive the lane, draw a defense and create for others.
• A former advisor to the NBA players union just got 18 months in jail for fraud.
• Golden State center Festus Ezeli, who missed a chunk of the season following knee surgery, has gotten the okay from doctors to play in the Las Vegas Summer League.
• DeAndre Liggins is working out at the Brooklyn Nets’ facility trying to get on their team for the Orlando Summer League.
• Wizards prospect Tomas Satoransky is not playing for the team in the Las Vegas Summer League.
• Finally, Dikembe Mutombo’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel was... very Dikembe.