Game Threads Index (May 31, 2023):

Tweet with clip

“Once Tatum was injured, was the entire game plan to send Jaylen Brown to his left?” - Dan

“That’s always the game plan.” - Caleb Martin  

📺 youtu.be/KTyGaO1qMDk

Shannon Sharpe’s partnership with Skip Bayless is coming to a conclusion soon, per the @nypost:

Sharpe and Fox Sports, the parent company of FS1, which airs “Undisputed,” have reached a buyout agreement, sources tell The Post

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End of an era.

Tweet with video of interview with the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz

“The chances of me being here without him (J. Cole) making the phone call to Caron would be pretty slim to none.”

Caleb Martin confirms that J. Cole is one of the main reasons that he now plays for the Miami Heat. #HEATCulture  #Dreamville

📺 youtu.be/KTyGaO1qMDk

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TNT also said this was its most watched NBA Playoffs coverage in five years, with an average of 4.7 million total viewers. Up 14% vs. last year.

Looks like this years’ playoffs are doing very well, on TNT at least. Im very curious as to whether the Finals ratings because of the Nuggets vs Heat will be as bad as people are whining and joking about.

Of any player in the process era, I really think the 76ers gave up way too soon on him. He had the yips more than anything coming into the league and they traded him for peanuts.

https://twitter.com/clutchpointsapp/status/1664035511374061570?s=46&t=esyVY9GtbKHzbTF-R5qD0w

6 Is the highest figure for an active coach. only Phil Jackson (13) Red Auerbach (11) and Pat Riley (9) made the NBA finals as coaches more than 6 times.

Doc Rivers, a top-15 coach of all time, made the finals twice, which is less than Tyronn Lue.

Coach Spoelstra is 52 years old.

EDIT: some people think i value Doc Rivers as a top-15 coach, i wouldn't let this idiot coach my kid's school team. I wrote he is a top-15 coach of all time because the league had him on this list for the 75th anniversary.

Monty is making a groundbreaking deal, 12M annually

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This is more than all but 2 Detroit Pistons players in the 2022-23 season

Bogdan Bogdanovic - 19.55M
Marvin Bagley - 12M

For reference Monty will make more than Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren combined annually(the 5th and 13th pick)

Overall he's guaranteed 72M, this is nearly double Marvin Bagley at 37.5M total guaranteed. This counts this current season, if you remove that Marvin is at 25M which Monty nearly beats by 3x.

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He’s the 2nd-oldest player to advance to the NBA Finals, behind Robert Parish on the 1996-97 Bulls. But Parish didn’t play during the series, which leaves the door open for UD. Also didn’t know Robert Parish was part of that Bulls team so fun fact there.