NBA News Roundup: Steph Curry certain about not missing any finals game, Shaquille O'Neal's son decides to stay in the 2022 Draft, and more - June 9th, 2022
The Boston Celtics protected home-court and won Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. "The Splash Brothers" went off for an incredible shooting night, but came up short down the stretch against the physical and athletic Boston defense.
The LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, are preparing for the upcoming season by bolstering their roster and coaching staff. Both "super teams" were title favorites before the 2021-22 season began, but ended up with massively disappointing campaigns.
Let's take a look at the news stories around the league in the last 24 hours.
Utah Jazz requests permission to interview several coaches around the league
The Utah Jazz are turning a new chapter in their franchise history. After several early playoff exits, the organization is parting ways with Quin Snyder. Snyder resigned as the second-winningest coach in franchise history in his eight-year tenure.
As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Jazz have now lined up interviews with numerous assistant coaches around the league. These include the Miami Heat's Chris Quinn, the New York Knicks' Johnnie Bryant, the Boston Celtics' Will Hardy and Joe Mazzulla.
Several other candidates include the Milwaukee Bucks' Charles Lee, Toronto Raptors' Adrian Griffin, Dallas Mavericks' Sean Sweeney and Phoenix Suns' Kevin Young.
Utah has requested permission to interview two more assistant coaches -- Toronto's Adrian Griffin and Phoenix's Kevin Young, sources tells ESPN. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
NBA and NBPA set up a meeting to discuss the new Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NBA and NBPA (National Basketball Player's Association) are reportedly meeting in Boston, Massachusetts to discuss a new iteration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The CBA is a contract between the league and the players' union which dictates the salaries, endorsements, trading rules. It also dictates the revenue distribution, among several other things.
The most recent CBA entered effect in the 2017-18 season and runs through 2023-24 with an opt-out clause after the 2022-23 season. Both sides can opt out of the current deal in December, so they are holding heavy talks around the new CBA in the coming months.
ESPN Sources: The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are holding a preliminary meeting on the collective bargaining agreement in Boston today. Both can opt out of current deal in December, but sides are preparing for serious talks on a new CBA across coming months.
Shaquille O'Neal's son Shareef O'Neal decides to stay in the 2022 NBA Draft class
Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef O'Neal, was mistakenly added to a withdrawal list in the 2022 NBA draft. This led people to believe he wasn't declaring for the upcoming draft.
However, the LSU forward has now decided he will stay in the draft after all, as per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
O'Neal is a 6-foot-10 junior at LSU, who was transferred from UCLA after missing his freshman season there. The 22-year-old is reportedly a four-star recruit and will work out for several teams ahead of the draft.
Former LSU big man Shareef O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, will reportedly stay in the 2022 NBA Draft following a mix-up pertaining to his eligibility trib.al/7u16GAk
Steph Curry isn't going to miss any NBA Finals game regardless of injury status
Steph Curry is the Golden State Warriors' leader and undoubtedly their most consistent player. He is averaging 31.3 points per game in the NBA Finals against the best defensive team in the league.
Curry is doing so on 48.6% shooting from beyond the arc along with 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
The two-time MVP is aware that he cannot even be subbed off the floor for a long time, let alone miss games. He hurt his ankle during a loose ball scuffle in the fourth quarter of Game 3, but has assured fans that he will not miss any games. He said, in the postgame press conference:
"I'm gonna be alright. I got caught underneath Al. Obviously, will be in some pain, but I'll be alright. See how I feel tomorrow and get ready for Friday."
Steph was in pain after this apparent leg injury.
Hope he's okay 🙏 https://t.co/WKcBRE2A5q
Draymond Green's wife sounds off on Boston Celtics fans for obscene chants against him
Draymond Green has been extremely physical and vocal against the Boston Celtics in the ongoing finals. There have been several instances where Green could have injured a Celtic player or received a technical for barking at the referees.
Hence, the Boston fanbase, which is already known for being hostile, started chanting obscene comments towards Green. He was also booed by the crowd every time he touched the ball.
Draymond Green's wife ranted on her Instagram stories. She cursed the spectators in Boston because her kids had to listen to the profane language. She also mentioned that the Bay Area fans would never exhibit this absurd behavior.
Draymond Green’s wife has had enough with the Boston crowds pleasantries directed at her husband https://t.co/LnHGFAAcyo