Rumors

Using Hemingway as a tool or an example was a concept Nori borrowed from Chris Finch, the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, whom Nori served as assistant head coach under for the past five seasons. Hemingway is Finch’s favorite author, and years ago he gifted Nori and the Timberwolves staff the book. When Nori first finished reading it, something clicked. “(Hemingway) didn’t use a lot of words. Everything was essentially headlines and cut to the chase,” Nori said. “So I figure as a team, we are together for seven months. I don’t want my voice to become like that Charlie Brown teacher (wah-wah-wah). You can hit these guys with your point, then get out.”

New York Times

A month after gifting “The Old Man and the Sea” to the Blazers staff, Nori became curious. Did anyone read it? Did the book resonate with them as it did him? The first week of training camp, Nori ended a coach’s meeting with a twist: a pop quiz. Ten questions, multiple choice, about Hemingway’s book. What was the name of the fisherman? What was he fishing for? Who was his favorite baseball player? What did he dream of at the end? “It was more lighthearted than anything,” Nori said of the quiz. “I didn’t mandate that they read it, but I also wanted to see how their minds work.”

New York Times

Redick has always been “a connector” as McConnell calls it, able to bridge gaps between people. “When we were in college, he got big into rapping and writing rhymes,” Redick’s former Duke and Magic teammate Chris Duhon recalled. Duhon and Redick would freestyle rap together with their Duke teammates. Redick would imitate his favorite rapper Eminem, out-rhyming Duhon and the others. “He wasn’t bad,” Duhon laughs. “He was decent.” Redick has a long list of passions. He started writing poetry in junior high. He’s a big fan of Hemingway. He has at various times become obsessed with high-end watches, wine, and golf. He has taught himself how to rise to the top of the NBA media sphere and build a podcast empire. “It goes to show you how smart he was and how creative his mind is,” Duhon said. “He knows how to relate to people.” “He’s a smart guy with a lot of interests, so he can talk about a lot of things,” said Van Gundy. “He cared about his teammates. It wasn’t all basketball all the time.”

Sporting News

Now, Redick hopes to expand his platform. In a telephone interview, he said he was set to start his podcast company, ThreeFourTwo Productions, this week with his co-host and business partner, Tommy Alter, along with a new weekly podcast, “The Old Man and the Three,” which ticks the obligatory podcast box of having a pun in its title. “It’s a little play on Hemingway,” Redick said. “I’m the old man in this scenario.”

New York Times

During a guest appearance Tuesday on Conan O'Brien's new TBS late-night talk show, the host asked Barkley for his take on Obama as a basketball player, then asked how Barkley felt he'd fare against the president in a one-on-one game. The answer will literally not surprise you in the slightest. "I'm an old, fat guy, but I'll kick his ass." It doesn't sing quite like Hemingway's clipped diction, but boy, it sure does zing like nobody's business. Sometimes, Chuck's brevity packs a punch all its own.

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