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Michael Scotto: After four seasons and winning one NBA championship, New York Knicks Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas has departed from the organization, league sources confirm to @hoopshype. Rosas hinted at his departure in an Instagram post.
NBA Courtside: Rich Paul says it must be in the algorithm of social media to talk bad about LeBron gets you clicks: “I think somewhere in the algorithm somebody said ‘hey if you speak negatively about LeBron, people want to pay attention to you.’ I think that somewhere is in the manual of social media” (Via Game Over)
Alexa Philippou: WNBA spox statement on a since-deleted post in which Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers bantered about a friendly wager ahead of yesterday's Dream-Wings matchup: "While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league's policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies. We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally. We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s press office trolled NBA star LeBron James on social media by suggesting he would face a luxury-home tax following reports of a potential move to New York City. The governor’s team used a post on X to label the athlete “LePied-a-Terre” in response to a report from ESPN that he would commute via helicopter from Manhattan to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. The referenced pied-a-terre tax, approved earlier this year, imposes a surcharge on expensive condos and co-ops that are not used as a primary residence.
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Legion Hoops: Alperen Sengun says he deleted his Twitter because of angry fans: “When we lost games, everyone looking from the outside tried to attack us and find any small thing they could pick on. They tried to pit us against each other. Attacking me through the coach. Because there are so many people out there who want to see us fail, you know? That’s actually why I deleted Twitter. After a certain point, I said, ‘What a dangerous place this is.’ It really drains a person mentally. It makes you second-guess and think, ‘Could something that isn’t real actually be true?’ Such wild things came out.” (via @SocratesDergi, h/t @TheNBABase)
As one example, Sengun pointed to an online controversy surrounding a postgame quote from Ime Udoka regarding Sengun’s pick-and-roll defense. “When I first saw that press conference, what Udoka said didn’t hurt or upset me at all,” Sengun said. “Because I’m very close with Ime, I know what he meant in that statement. So it didn’t bother me in the slightest. What he actually meant was that even if I become the best defender in the league five years from now, they’re still going to target me anyway. It’s been that way since he first arrived (in Houston).” “It’s just that because we suffered a tough loss in that game and the postgame atmosphere was tense, they asked him at such a moment, and since he was a bit frustrated, he answered like that. But because I actually know him personally, I never took it that way. Though of course, social media spun it in that direction, unfortunately.”
Over the last month, Sophie Cunningham’s viral point at DeWanna Bonner has become one of the most recognizable memes in sports. But while the image has spread across social media, the WNBPA doesn’t want its official business partners selling it. The WNBPA is “prohibiting licensees” from using the image of Cunningham’s point in their products, according to sports business reporter Darren Rovell, who said the union called Cunningham’s gesture “derogatory.” The WNBPA did not deny Rovell’s report to Front Office Sports. “For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members,” a spokesperson said.
Kendra Andrews: Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says that too many players in the WNBA have experienced “unacceptable” online hate. “The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment, and threats directed to our players, has no place in sport or anywhere else.”
Spencer Jones took to LinkedIn to react to his two-way offer sheet. His NBA future will be decided this weekend. Either he joins the Thunder for a fresh start or stays on the Nuggets with a pay raise.
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Spencer Jones: Bet you’ve never seen a free agency announcement on LinkedIn. Neither have I. But here we are. Somewhere between refreshing my phone and waiting for the paperwork, this felt like the right place to share it. Not exactly where NBA free agency usually plays out. Maybe that’s what makes it worth sharing here. More to come.
New Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t want to hear any more about his wife from online trolls. Antetokounmpo, 31, joined “AnesTea The Podcast” this week, where he was asked about his marriage to former collegiate volleyball player Mariah Riddlesprigger, with whom he shares four kids.
“I’ve heard so many things,” he said on the Monday, July 20, episode. “‘Why is Giannis with his wife? He could be with a model. Not one model but 10!’ But I am with my wife because she tells me the truth. She loves me, she will tell me whenever I do anything wrong. She will tell my kids the truth. I know that she will kill for my kids and she would even kill me for them. I know that she won’t let my kids get a big head, and that’s the most important thing for me.” He added, “I am in love. I am in love with her. As a woman and as a mother.”
Among those caught up in the excitement of James’ decision? Saquon Barkley, the Eagles’ superstar running back who welcomed James to Philadelphia on Friday afternoon. “Welcome to the city!” Barkley wrote on social media. “Let me know when you tryna tee it up.” Barkley is an avid golfer, and James has just recently gotten into it. Surely, they’ll be playing together in the near future.