“Yeah, we didn’t [make the playoffs], and that’s part of it. But I’m really proud of the ways Draymond and Klay handled themselves in the second half. I’m proud of the team for making the push they did, but this is the reality of father time catching up, and this is the way pro sports works. Whether it’s the end of our run or whether we have a little bit of time left – which we’re hoping – we are where we are and not much is going to change that.” -via Audacy / April 25, 2024

Steve Kerr on Warriors dynasty coming to an end: “There’s no recipe for how to end it. These things all end however they end. In the Bulls’ case, it was ‘Alright, everybody’s a free agent, see ya later,’ and it was over. In San Antonio’s case, they found a way to revive it, win another title, and then guys ended up retiring and now they’ve been in a situation where they haven’t made the playoffs in a few years. So you can describe it however you want. I think what’s important to me is that our guys do it the right way. With dignity. With grace. I understand that we haven’t always done that. There have been moments where – with Draymond, the incident with Jordan (Poole) last year. That’s not dignified. Obviously. The stuff that happened early in the season.” “So a part of my conversations with Draymond were, ‘You owe it to yourself but also to the franchise to do this the right way. To go out competing as best you can. Be the best version of yourself. Lead the younger guys. Teach them what being a pro is about.’ And he responded beautifully. In the whole second half of the season, I thought he was amazing. I thought he played well. I thought he handled himself well. Took on a leadership role. And it was fun to watch.” -via Audacy / April 25, 2024

However, Green acknowledged that Gobert gets more scorn than most. Green has no regrets about his contributions to that, saying, “I’m not really one to regret words.” “Listen, I think ultimately in the end for everybody, you usually get what you deserve,” Green told ESPN. “Whether that’s me getting suspended, whether that’s him getting s—. Usually in the end, you get what you deserve.” -via ESPN / April 24, 2024

As much as Ham is liked personally by the organization — and this columnist — the truth is that the Lakers have not only been outplayed by the Nuggets, but Ham has been outcoached by Malone. “We’ve got to come with competitive pride … that’s all we should be concerned with, coming in here Saturday, having competitive pride,” Ham said Thursday. That competitive pride in Game 4 will be challenged by competitive chaos. If they get swept, it could be Ham’s last stand, and the players surely know it, because all signs have been pointing to it. Ham will be cited as the reason for this quote by LeBron James, who finished Thursday’s game with three turnovers and several other miscues while appearing weary in several long stretches. “We come out in the third quarter with not much energy or we can kind of lose track of rotations and detail that we had in the first half,” James said. “I think a lot of that played into it.” -via Los Angeles Times / April 26, 2024

James, who has a career of firsts, said the key to achieving the impossible and coming back from a 3-0 series deficit is focusing on one game at a time. “It’s one game at a time, at this point,” James said. “You lose, you go home. So we’re going come in with the mindset of, ‘Let’s get one.’ Force a Game 5 and then we go from there. So as long as you still have life, then you always have belief. I just think you play until the wheels fall off.” -via The Athletic / April 26, 2024

Asked if the Lakers were overwhelmed by the Nuggets’ level of execution, James said, “You’d have to ask the individuals that question and see how they feel. It’s hard for me just to be like, ‘This is what I think that guy feels.’ … I can’t do that. I’m not a mind reader. I don’t know.” No one was able to ask Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell that question. After going scoreless in Game 3 on 0-for-7 shooting (0-for-6 from 3), he declined to speak to reporters after the game, according to a team spokesperson. “We’ve been — me and this guy [Davis] have been playing together for six years,” James continued. “We’ve been to the mountaintop. We’ve been close to the mountaintop. We’ve played a lot of games. We know what it takes to win. We know what it takes to win a championship and how damn near perfect you got to be. That’s not like something that’s so crazy to obtain.” -via ESPN / April 26, 2024