LeBron James compliments Thunder GM Sam Presti's eye for talent
Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager, speaks during a news conference in Oklahoma City on Sept. 26, 2019. Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki
When LeBron James was asked about his impression of Oklahoma City rookie Josh Giddey, 19, who this past week became the youngest player in NBA history to record three straight triple-doubles (one against the Knicks), he praised him and then switched gears to compliment the Thunder’s general manager.
"The MVP over there is Sam Presti," James said. "He’s the MVP. Josh Giddey is great. Sam Presti, I don’t understand his eye for talent. He drafted [Kevin Durant], Russ [Westbrook], Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Josh Giddey, and the list goes on and on and on. This guy is pretty [darn] good."
Left out — James Harden, whom Presti took with the No. 3 pick in 2009. Was it a mistake? Or a subtle jab like the one in which James and Durant made Harden the last pick when they were choosing their teams for this game and then laughed about it?
Cold comfort
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was in Cleveland to coach the East with the Heat compiling the best record, and Jimmy Butler was a reserve. But asked if they had heard from any of the other Miami players this weekend, they had a similar response.
"Those guys are getting on my nerves," Butler said. "They’re so happy that I get to be here in Cleveland while it’s snowing and everybody else is in the sunshine. So Spo, this is my sacrifice. You always talk about sacrifice, this is my sacrifice; I’m in the snow."
Said Spoelstra, "They all told us that before we went out, kind of letting us know where they were going to be and keep working on their suntans, which I hope they do. We’ve worked extremely hard this season and . . . I want our guys to unplug, come back with a major suntan and get ready for a great push and final run before the playoffs."
The winners
The Cavaliers’ young trio of Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen won the new interpretation of the skills competition, finishing it off when Mobley drained a shot from midcourt on his first try . . . Nets guard Patty Mills was eliminated in the first round of the three-point competition when the final player up, Trae Young, hit his last money-ball shot from the corner to knock out Mills, 22-21. Karl-Anthony Towns won with 29 in the final.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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