Video: Kevin Durant talks about basketball camp, NBA labor situation and more
Photos: Kevin Durant’s basketball camp in Oklahoma City
View more photos of Kevin Durant’s basketball camp in Oklahoma City.
Kevin Durant gives a demonstration on his summer practice routine during the Kevin Durant basketball camp at Heritage Hall Wednesday, June 29, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Kevin Durant stands in front of camp participants during the second day of the Kevin Durant basketball camp at Heritage Hall in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 30, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Kevin Durant takes a break from a shootout during the second day of the Kevin Durant basketball camp at Heritage Hall in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 30, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Camp participants listen to Kevin Durant speak during the second day of the Kevin Durant basketball camp at Heritage Hall in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 30, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
View more photos of Kevin Durant’s basketball camp in Oklahoma City.
Now Doing Music Videos: Serge Ibaka
First, it was modeling for Serge Ibaka.
Now, it seems he’s trying his hand at music videos.
The Thunder’s starting power forward is blowing up before our eyes.
Ibaka made a cameo in Lupe Fiasco’s new video, ‘Out of My Head,’ which features Trey Songz. If you don’t know either of those two names, trust us when we say they’re two of the biggest artists in Hip Hop and R&B. For Ibaka to have made his way onto the set and into the video is no small feat.
Check out the video below. Ibaka makes his appearance at the very end of the video, specifically at the 3:08 mark and the 3:18 mark. As for Ibaka’s performance, well, he’s got a nice smile.
Tags: Lupe Fiasco, Music, More Music Videos
(h/t to @DaBronx7)
Consider this just the beginning for Ibaka. In just two NBA seasons, Ibaka has proved he has the skills on the court and the charisma off it to be a star in several respects. The fact that he’s a hard worker and he’s humble should only help his cause. Who knows what could be next for him?
In the meantime, score another one for Oklahoma. The Little Market That Could continues to churn out a string of successes when so many thought it wouldn’t be possible. Three years in, this town’s NBA team has produced two All-Stars, two All-NBA selections, two gold medalists, a two-time scoring champ, a slam dunk participant, a Coach of the Year, a male model and music video cast member and a Western Conference finalist. This state has helped, not hindered, the blossoming of the 2008 Rookie of the Year into a full-fledged superstar with the signature line of shoes and the national television spots that come with it.
And you get the sense that the best is yet to come — for Ibaka, for Kevin Durant, for Russell Westbrook and for the entire roster that makes up the Oklahoma City Thunder. Best of all, whatever great things they go on to do, they’ll be doing them right here, in The Little Market That Could.
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Nazr Mohammed Agrees To Extension
The Oklahoma City Thunder has agreed to a contract extension with center Nazr Mohammed, effectively keeping the 13-year veteran from becoming an unrestricted free agent on Friday, The Oklahoman has learned.
Terms of the deal, which could be announced as early as Tuesday, were not immediately known. But the extension is for one year.
As a player with 10-plus years of NBA service, Mohammed’s is entitled to a minimum contract of $1,399,507. Mohammed earned $6,883,800 this season.
Both Mohammed and Thunder management had expressed their desire to get a new deal done.
Mohammed, who was acquired in a deadline-day trade with Charlotte that sent D.J. White and Morris Peterson to the Bobcats, quickly grew attached to the Thunder organization and its group of young talent. In 24 games, seven as a starter, with the Thunder, Mohammed averaged 6.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. He helped the Thunder reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in the franchise’s Oklahoma City era.
Thunder coaches and front office members were impressed with Mohammed’s performance, professionalism and stabilizing veteran presence on a team that was one of the youngest in the league last season. With Mohammed returning, the Thunder keeps intact a quartet of centers that also includes starter Kendrick Perkins and reserves Cole Aldrich and Byron Mullens.
Mohammed’s deal now leaves only Daequan Cook as the Thunder’s lone free agent. The Thunder on Monday extended Cook a qualifying offer to officially make him a restricted free agent, giving the team the right to match any offer Cook might receive.
Unlike Cook, who is coming off a rookie scale contract, Mohammed was eligible to sign an extension before July 1. Mohammed was on the final year of a five-year deal he signed with Detroit in 2006.
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Video: Thunder introduces first round pick Reggie Jackson
Sam Presti Talking About Reggie Jackson
Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke about Reggie Jackson late Thursday night, roughly 2 1/2 hours after the franchise selected the Boston College guard 24th overall in the NBA Draft.
Here are various snippets from what Presti had to say:
In Reggie Jackson, we feel like we have a player that brings great length and athleticism. He continues to add depth to a core of players that we see as growing together. With a team that won 55 games last season, the objective is to continue to layer the organization with young talented players when it comes to the draft and we feel good about the fact that we’ve been able to do that.
We look at him as a pretty versatile player. We look at him as a guy that has played both positions. We like the fact that he’s got a great feel for the game. He’s got a great pace to him. But he also combines that in a package with supreme athleticism and length, which are all qualities that we like in our players and has been a big part of our progress with our team.
He’s a guy that is a willing learner. He’s a guy with great athletic ability. He’s a guy that can shoot the ball. And he’s a guy that really understands that he has room to grow and wants to improve. And that’s what his focus is.
A guy with his size and length, he doesn’t play specifically of of that athleticism alone. We feel like he’s a really good passer. He’s not a home run-play passer. He sees things develop pretty well. And then obviously being able to make shots like he does, we think he’s got a nice combination. At the same time, he’s got a long way to go to improve. We have to try to help him get there.
We think he has potential to come be a pretty good defensive player. The fact that he has that size and athleticism, it gives him the ability to be able to guard multiple positions. But that’s going to be something that he has to continue to work at.
He was the guy on the board that we wanted to take. When that pick came up, he was the guy that we wanted to have on the team.
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Is Eric Maynor Really On The Move?
Would the Thunder entertain the idea of trading one of the league's best reserve point guards?
Chad Ford of ESPN.com reported this morning that the Thunder is seeking to trade into the top 15 of tonight’s NBA Draft and is dangling reserve point guard Eric Maynor while seeking to move up.
They’ve spoken to the Kings (No. 7) and Bobcats (No. 9) in particular in the past few days…With so few quality point guards on the board this year, would a team covet him more than Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette? Who are the Thunder after? Like a lot of teams, it seems they are in hot pursuit of Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas.”
It’s certainly the start of an interesting scenario. But from all my conversations, both throughout the season and leading up to tonight’s draft, it’s not happening. The Thunder loves Maynor. The team loves what he brings on the court, loves his attitude and work ethic and loves how he meshes with the roster.
Now, if some team made Thunder general manager Sam Presti an offer he couldn’t refuse, say a top five pick straight up for Maynor, then all bets are off. The Thunder doesn’t love Maynor that much. But in a weak draft that is filled with role players, is there someone in the seven to 15 range who can come in and immediately have a bigger impact than Maynor. Probably not. The Thunder loves to look long term when drafting, and I expect the organization to do the same tonight. But not since Presti began tearing down in 2007 to build up have we seen this front office sacrifice today for tomorrow. It’s possible Presti is willing to someday trade Maynor. But it’s not probable that today is that day, mainly since whatever potential deal is out there would give the Thunder a good leg up for the future but leave a gaping hole at the present day backup point guard spot.
That’s why any talk of Maynor being dealt is a little far-fetched. But here are five other reasons the Thunder isn’t likely to trade Maynor tonight.
Talkin’ Thunder On The Animal
I joined The Sports Animal’s Mark Rodgers yesterday to talk Thunder and NBA Draft.
Thanks to WWLS for providing us with a file of the interview. You can catch Mark Monday through Friday on The Middle of the Day Show from 12 to 2.
Enjoy.
Darnell Mayberry with Mark 6-21
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TMZ Puts Kevin Durant In An Awkward Spot
A video is making the rounds of Kevin Durant apparently “dissing” Oklahoma City.
It’s no surprise that the footage is captured by TMZ. When asked what there is to do in Oklahoma for fun Durant responded, “nothing” and kept walking. TMZ then made sort of a big deal about it on its television show.
A couple of things I’d like to say.
It’s time for folks in Oklahoma to lose the inferiority complex. Some people already are making this into a big deal. It’s not. This is a great state with great people. Durant has said that countless times. But it shouldn’t matter how one person or even the rest of the country views us. Yet, it seems so many that live here need constant validation for every little thing, and that segment of the population rushes to anger at the slightest of slights. I don’t get it.
I understand that Durant is different. You support him. You pay good money to go to his games. You throw down some of your disposable income on buying his jersey. You lose your voice screaming for him and his teammates on game nights. You pony up to send your kids to his camp. It’s inexcusable for Durant to turn around and bite the hand that feeds him, to insult the same place that’s helped give him his cushy life.
But is that really what he did?
Hardly.
Durant made an attempt to explain his actions in messages on both his Twitter account as well as his Facebook page. His reason for saying “nothing?” He didn’t want to talk to TMZ. Durant had the right idea in mind. He should have said nothing. But he’s too nice of a guy to blow off people and say nothing. So he said something. And that something, which was the answer, “nothing,” created a small controversy, which is exactly what TMZ covets.
But, really, there is no controversy.
Durant loves it here. He might have been sharing his honest feelings. Maybe he truly feels there isn’t much to do here. If that’s the case, so what? He’s entitled to have an opinion. Sorry to be the one to break it to you. But for a single, 22-year-old African American multi-millionaire with no children, Oklahoma City is not the hot spot. Regardless, how many times has Durant praised OKC? How many times has he put this city on his shoulders and honorably carried it with him to All-Star games and Spain and Greece and China and Turkey? How many times has Durant stood up for Oklahoma City when national media members have tried their best to bait him into disparaging this place or admitting he’d rather play elsewhere?
Durant shouldn’t have to constantly profess his love to this place solely because a small group of people need to hear it once a week. His actions have spoken loudest of all. He signed a five-year contract extension last summer without an opt out clause. It’ll keep him here through the 2015-16 season. He recently closed on a mini mansion in Gaillardia, a pricey pad that again proves he plans on planting roots here.
What more does Durant need to do to prove he wants to be here?
Hopefully he doesn’t have to remind us of it every time someone around here needs reassurance.
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Power Lunch Chat Recap: John Rohde
