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Zach Lowe on Giannis Antetokounmpo: Miami is the frontrunner to me until I hear like concrete evidence that anyone has beaten the offer that has been sitting there for a long time. We don't know exactly what it is. We know that I keep seeing these reports like Milwaukee doesn't love Miami's offer. It's like, really? You don't think they do? He's still on the Bucks. Like, if they loved it, I think this would have been done by now. But I'm not even ruling out like a mystery team that that might jump in. These things can take some unpredictable turns as deadlines approach, and I think a big deadline is approaching. So, I would still brand Miami the front runner, but obviously the Bucks are waiting for more from them, whether they extract it via leverage, whether Miami just decides it we're done we just need to get it done. Because if they liked Miami's offer, he'd be on Miami.

Heat Central: “Since the day after the season ended for the Heat, I have been saying Giannis is going to be a member of the Heat next season. I’m going to stick with that. I think a trade gets done on draft day. I’m gonna guess the last possible minute, they find a deal and they get Giannis.” — @Anthony_Chiang on his Giannis to Miami prediction.

Dalton Johnson: Definitely interesting that Labaron Philon Jr. yesterday after his Warriors workout said he saw Al Horford early at Chase Center and “he’s been here all day.” Horford has until June 29th to decide on his $6 million player option.

Malik Beasley: I wish I had played better with the Lakers. I was going through a lot of mental sh*t though at that time. Neon: It's like, what is the hardest part mentally while you're in the NBA? Beasley: People don't even think about that. All the outside noise, like your regular life outside of basketball. Like for me, I didn't know where to live. So, I lived in Beverly Hills, but it was like 40 minutes away from the arena and 40 minutes away from the practice facility. So, you had to pick which one either you wanted to live close to the arena or close to the practice facility. You go to Utah, it's everything right in the same gym. So, it was just like, that part and then obviously public issues with my teammates and other stuff like that. Neon: Seriously? Beasley: So that was tough and then my own issues at home with my girl, well, my ex. So it just wasn't the best mental situation.
Kevin Garnett on Victor Wembanyama: One thing I want to speak on is just Wemby's development. If I'm him, I’m working on core strength because when… Paul will tell you, I'm not the biggest guy, right? But he'll tell you when I sit down and post up, can you move me? Paul Pierce: No, he's strong. Garnett: I'm probably one of the strongest people you could ever run up on and look like how I look, but when it came down there to setting up on that block and then pitching and getting it off down there, yeah, I was the best at that. I would love to work with Big Fella, but this generation has a preference on how they want to work out. And I have to respect that. But yeah, I'm open to all… Listen, I'm looking for big years from not just Wemby. I'm looking for big years from Chet Holmgren. I'm looking for a big summer from Zion Williamson. I'm looking for a big summer from Kyrie Irving. I'm looking for Jayson Tatum to have a big summer.
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Jared McCain on Victor Wembanyama: I was going to ask for Wemby's jersey, but like now that he sent a hit on me, I can’t. Like, I don't know if I… Friend: That's got to be the thumbnail for the video. Wemby sent a hit on me and… McCain: Wemby tried to kill me… Gone wrong.

NBA Base: Josh Hart took a shot at Becky Hammon, who has yet to apologize for doubting the Knicks' championship leader 👀 “I'm not naming names, but I'm still waiting for somebody to say they was wrong about someone who led our team to a championship in 53 years. I'm still waiting for something. So you know, I know they have media availability, so we'll be waiting for that apology.” (Via @Roommates__Show)

Luka Doncic revealed that family remains his primary focus this summer, while also expressing confidence in Slovenia’s chances despite his absence and confirming that his injury issues are now behind him. “We already know that I won’t play for the national team. The main reason is my daughters. Everything else is pretty much the same. I’m doing individual workouts, training in the gym, and also playing other sports. This year golf has become part of the routine, so it’s a little different. Golf is amazing. We played a lot with the team before. Now we can’t because we’re apart. It’s really relaxing—you’re out in nature, away from your phone, at peace. It’s one of the best things,” Dončić told per Siol.

The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals, claiming their first championship since 1973. Brunson was named Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the series. However, because of the time difference in Slovenia, Luka Doncic admitted he did not wake up in the middle of the night to watch the games live. "It's all too early for me, waking up at three in the morning, so I didn't watch," Doncic said with a smile, via Siol.net.

But the 2006 finals remains Dwyane Wade’s basketball masterpiece, one that saw him join Michael Jordan (1993), Rick Barry (1967) and Elgin Baylor (1962) as the only players with four consecutive 35-point games in the league’s championship series. From Games 3 through 6, Wade scored 16 more points in the paint than any Mavericks player. “Bottom line, in the finals, it was kind of Jordan-esque. It really was,” Mourning told The Athletic of Wade’s performance. “He averaged almost 40 points a game in the finals. That’s getting it done. And it just took the others to kind of come together and do their part — you know, me, Shaq, (James) Posey, J-Dub (Jason Williams), Udonis (Haslem), and Antoine Walker, all of us. “We contributed in our own little ways from that perspective, but D-Wade was phenomenal to watch. He threw us on his shoulders. He just carried us.”
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Tony Allen: Y'all was working in a in a real hectic environment during that time. It went viral with the Donald Sterling sh*t. Was that kind of hard to deal with? Matt Barnes: To me it didn't matter, TA, because I faced real racism in my life. In my senior year of high school like this dude was [expletive] with my sister and calling her a [n-word] this and spit on her and everything. She was a soft motherf*cker. I had to whoop this dude. And when I got suspended, this is in probably a couple months before I went to UCLA. I got suspended for a week, like midweek when I'm suspended, the KKK comes and like burns crosses and hangs mannequins in the tree like [n-word] die and swastikas everywhere. So I’ve seen like real hateful sh*t. So to hear like a owner talking about black people this and black people that, like I didn't give a [expletive] about what that old senile [expletive] had to say, but obviously the rest of the world did.

NBA Courtside: Matt Barnes on when he fake threw the ball in Kobe Bryant face in the finals: “The Orlando sh*t I told him in our last interview like bro I was ready to fu*king like I was ready to go, like fu*k basketball. Was ready to throw that ball in your face. Because he gets like he’s already so good but then he’ll elbow you and grab you and I remember I caught a dunk tip off the rim because he was guarding me and he tried to block Dwight shot and it fell of perfect and I put that b***h down and that motherfu*kers elbowing me from like my waist to my chest to like my chin and the ref was right here and didn’t say nothing. I was ready to go. He had already elbowed me in my sternum and knocked the wind out of me that game. It was just who he was, you know what I mean? And it was after the game and be you good, it was that line of respect.” (Via @OutTheMudTL)

NBA Courtside: Matt Barnes on his relationship with Kobe Bryant: “I remember when the Drake and Rick Ross song came out Stay Schemin' and you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym. I remember when that sh*t came out and how made he was about that was crazy and I’m going kind to leave that where that was. But then I also remember another time where we just having a good time. We were in Phoenix on the bus about to get on the plane and we were joking talking sh*t because I came here off the rip just talking sh*t you know I mean I talk sh*t, I’m talking sh*t to Kobe and he’s talking it back. So it kind of changes the whole mood. But one day I was literally like bro how come you don’t show the rest of the world this side of you? And he like thought for second. He’s like, “MB, I can’t show these motherfu*kers that,” you know, I mean, because he always showed the rest of the world the Mamba. Like, I got to know Kobe, you know what I mean? And the person and the businessman and the Father, how much he loved my kids and just the man behind the mask and that’s what I treasure most about our friendship” (Via @OutTheMudTL)
Matt Barnes: I lost my mom to cancer. He was diagnosed November 1st, 2007, died November 27th. So within 26 days, I lost my best friend. And you know, after and it right at the beginning of the season after the that 2008 season. I just tried to wanted to find a way to give back. So she died from four cancers all in stage four. So cancer was the avenue I went down. And throughout my journey, we provided scholarship funds. We provided, aid for people who needed help cuz most of the time, if you don't have insurance or even if you do have insurance, man, cancer treatment will wipe your bank account out. So, we were able to help people pay for bills and do things like that.