In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.
Hunter S. Thompson
ESPN – Feds investigating Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard dealings
The Ringer – Howard Beck – Does the NBA Have an Owner Problem?
No one can earn a million dollars honestly.
William Jennings Bryan
Sports Business Journal – Clippers Get Clipped: Silver praised for taking strong, decisive action
Every crowd has a silver lining.
P. T. Barnum
Phil has a question:
Do the Raptors understand that you can’t recreate lightning with an aging, ailing star who spurned them for money under the table.
Do the Raptors understand once bitten twice shy.
Do the Raptors understand fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.
P. J. O’Rourke
The Ringer – Howard Beck – The Clippers Are Screwed. The NBA Can Exhale.
Every crowd has a silver lining.
P. T. Barnum
The Ringer – Katie Baker – Owners Manual: Steve Ballmer’s Nightmare Is Now Reality
Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing.
In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.
Hunter S. Thompson
The Ringer – 22 Increasingly Unhinged Ways to Fix the NBA
Sporting News – Joseph Casciaro – The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard era was a franchise-dooming failure
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life – becoming a better person.
Leo Tolstoy
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.
Robert Green Ingersoll
The full report can be found here
ESPN – NBA announces punishments for LA Clippers after Kawhi probe
Front Office Sports – Alex Schiffer – Adam Silver Wants Lengthy Clippers Probe Done ‘This Summer’
Phil has a question:
Could the League force a sale of the Clippers for a second time.
If Ballmer is such a smart businessman what the fuck was he doing pouring millions into Aspiration with minimal due diligence.
Phil has a question:
Does Drake ever pick a winner.
Would you want to be a fan of such a tire fire team.
SportsNet – Michael Grange – Kyle Lowry to retire with Toronto Raptors
The Ringer – Danny Chau – The Long Way Home for Kawhi Leonard
This is a deeply strange turn of events for myriad reasons. To put it in context: The haul is objectively worse than what the Los Angeles Clippers just received for Kawhi Leonard, a frequently injured 35-year-old currently under investigation for allegedly taking part in a cap circumvention scheme. I say this not to chastise Leonard but to point out how absurdly low the return was for a younger, more dependable forward who just averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists for a 56-win team that … was eliminated in the first round by Philadelphia. Yes, for those counting at home, Boston might have gone out of its way to enhance the division rival who knocked it out of the playoffs in shocking, humiliating fashion a few months ago.
The Ringer – Michael Pina – What the Hell Is This Jaylen Brown Trade?
The Ringer – Rob Mahoney – The Jaylen Brown Trade Is a Meteor to the Eastern Conference
He that is discontented in one place will seldom be happy in another.
Aesop
Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.
Jack Kerouac
ESPN – Zach Kram – Kawhi traded to Raptors: Grades, reaction, Clippers’ next steps
A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.
John Wooden
ESPN – Shams Charania – Sources: Raptors nearing deal to acquire Leonard from Clippers
We all squeezed the stick and we all pulled the trigger
I’m a lot better coach when I have really good players.
Chuck Daly
The Ringer – Michael Pina – Giannis Changes Everything in Miami—but Solves Very Little
ESPN – Sham Charania – Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to Heat for haul of players, picks
Trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.
Branch Rickey
ESPN – Zach Kram and Ben Golliver – Giannis traded to Heat: Grades, reaction, Bucks’ next steps
Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.
Red Auerbach
ESPN – Giannis traded to Heat: Everything we know about predraft blockbuster
I never wanted to be Michael Jordan, although I would like to trade bank accounts.
Scottie Pippen
There is no friendship in trade.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Phil M. Stockmen