LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson headline All-NBA Second Team

Rich Paul appeared on the “Rich Eisen Show” and responded to Falk’s claims. “I just thought that was very unfair and a little beneath David Falk for a number of reasons,” Paul said Thursday. “We can’t have revisionist history, and we all want to determine who’s the GOAT and who’s the best and so on and so forth. But I just thought that was a little beneath David to say that.” -via New York Post / May 23, 2025

“I always get asked this question. Physically, he can play several more years. I don’t think it’s the physical aspect of it. I think it’s where you’re at mentally. With all these guys, I think we put so much on the individual. There’s a lot of layers to success as an individual. And I think when you think about him per se, there’s a lot of decisions that have to be made. You know, going into a locker room, what the roster looks like, what the approach of each player is. He’s always going to get everybody’s best shot and so is the team he’s on with the history of the team.” -via Lakers Nation / May 23, 2025

James’ longtime agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports recently appeared on the “Rich Eisen Show” and admitted even has no clue when the Lakers superstar will call it a career: “I have no idea. Zero…. Normally, our process is you kind of weigh everything and see how he’s feeling and all those type of things. Same process it’s been for the last I don’t know how many years. He’ll come around to what he’s thinking at some point and we’ll kind of go over some things and go from there.” -via Lakers Nation / May 23, 2025

During a recent interview on “The TK Show,” Kerr explained why his bond with Curry is eerily similar to the close relationship between longtime San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and highly decorated big man Tim Duncan. “Very similar, very similar,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami about his relationship with Curry having a striking resemblance to Popovich’s and Duncan’s. “I think Pop and I are a lot alike in many ways, and I think Steph and Tim are a lot alike. I would say that Tim and Steph, if you had to put down names who every coach who ever coached in the NBA, if you asked them to name a couple guys they would want to partner with, Steph and Tim would maybe be the first two guys. -via NBC Sports Bay Area / May 22, 2025

“And I think that’s the dynamic I saw with Pop and Timmy when I played for four seasons with the Spurs. It was very similar, it was collaborative, it was genuine love and friendship. A lot of humor a lot of joy, it’s hard to find that. But Steph and Tim are very similar in that regard. They’re probably the two most collaborative superstars. the most easy to work with that I can imagine.” -via NBC Sports Bay Area / May 22, 2025

Steve Kerr: It’s a tricky one because Jonathan Kuminga obviously is gifted and wants to play a bigger role and wants to play more. And for me, I’ve been asked to win. And right now, he’s not a guy who I can say I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have — Steph and Jimmy and Draymond — and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win. -via San Francisco Standard / May 22, 2025

Added Pascal Siakam, “He’s a tough cover and he’s been doing it for a long time. Every series, he just finds a way to get the ball in the bucket.” -via Sports Illustrated / May 23, 2025

As Jalen Brunson has risen to NBA stardom, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is often asked if he saw it coming. Carlisle coached Brunson for three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, overseeing his rise from useful second-round pick in his first season to top sixth man in his third. Over the last three seasons with the New York Knicks, Brunson has emerged as a perennial MVP candidate. “I’m not surprised,” Carlisle said. “Knowing his level of determination, how much of a winner he is and how he really has always embraced the doubters. He loves proving people wrong.” -via Sports Illustrated / May 23, 2025

Success in Carlisle’s new gig hinges on his ability to stop Brunson. Or at least slow him down. Lost in the mayhem of Indiana’s 138–135 overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was Brunson going off. He collected a playoff-high 43 points. He shot 60% from the floor. He was 12 of 14 from the free throw line. There were some uncharacteristic mistakes down the stretch, but for most of the game, Brunson was brilliant. “Making it hard on him is difficult because he finds angles,” Carlisle said. “He gets places and he makes it. He routinely makes shots that if most players took them, you’d say that’s a bad shot. But he’s a bucket man. He just gets the ball in the basket.” -via Sports Illustrated / May 23, 2025