Here’s a look at what Al Horford contributed in the Boston Celtics’ 18th NBA championship.
After 17 years of grinding away against the best players in the world, forward/center Al Horford won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
In doing so, he became the first Dominican-born basketball player to win a ring. Horford is also the tenth UF alumnus to have earned an NBA ring, joining college teammates [autotag]Corey Brewer[/autotag] and [autotag]Udonis Haslem[/autotag] on the list.
Despite his advanced age of 38, the Gator great was a regular contributor to his team’s cause — including an offensive outburst from behind the three-point arc to set a new NBA playoffs record.
Across 19 playoff games, he put up 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game played.
In a 2007 re-draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Corey Brewer with Thaddeus Young off the board early.
In the 2007 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking to get back on track following a tough 2006-07 season. The Sixers had moved on from the Allen Iverson era and also waived Chris Webber as they embraced a change for the franchise.
They held the No. 12 pick and selected versatile forward Thaddeus Young, who did many good things for the Sixers during his time in Philadelphia. He was a big part of them making the playoffs four times and always did what was asked.
Due to his production in the league, Young has been taken early in a re-draft done by HoopsHype. It had Young going No. 6 to the Milwaukee Bucks, leaving the Sixers to take Corey Brewer at No. 12. Brewer originally was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 7.
Brewer last played in the league with the Sacramento Kings in the 2019-20 season, and he averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds for his career. He ended up playing in seven games, with three starts, for the Sixers in the 2018-19 season when he signed two 10-day contracts.
Brewer averaged 7.6 points and 2.4 rebounds during his very short stint with the Sixers.
The New Orleans Pelicans gained some clarity on next season’s coaching staff with the hiring of Corey Brewer and the departure of Chris Finch.
The New Orleans Pelicans saw a couple of changes on their coaching staff on Saturday. On the hiring front, the team will bring in Corey Brewer as a player development coach, as reported by Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV in Houston.
Brewer did not play last season but was apart of the Sacramento Kings’ roster inside the bubble. He last played in the 2019-20 season for the Kings, featuring in five games at the end of the season.
Interestingly, Brewer does have a history with the baby Lakers on the Pelicans roster after playing half a season with them in 2017-18. Ingram and Brewer, particularly, have a close relationship as he described last year.
“…that was like my vet. [Brewer] talked to me about everything. Everything that went on behind the scenes, some of the stuff that you can’t say outside [of the locker room] and in front of everybody else. We called each other ‘The Thin Twins.’ We were both under 190 pounds. That’s my dude. He’s been really, really good to me.”
It’d be pretty easy to spin this as another reason Ingram might stay, but all indications are that Ingram will be staying in New Orleans with his restricted free agency to be short-lived this off-season.
On the flip side, the Pelicans appear to have lost an assistant coach and an important one at that in Chris Finch. Interviewed for the head coaching job in Indiana, Finch eventually was passed over for the position. With a new regime led by Stan Van Gundy coming in this season, Finch opted to move on from New Orleans and will join Nick Nurse in Toronto, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Ironically, Finch is likely filling the role vacated by Nate Bjorkgren who was the candidate the Pacers chose to hire as head coach.
The New Orleans Pelicans gained some clarity on next season’s coaching staff with the hiring of Corey Brewer and the departure of Chris Finch.
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The New Orleans Pelicans saw a couple of changes on their coaching staff on Saturday. On the hiring front, the team will bring in Corey Brewer as a player development coach, as reported by Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV in Houston.
Brewer did not play last season but was apart of the Sacramento Kings’ roster inside the bubble. He last played in the 2019-20 season for the Kings, featuring in five games at the end of the season.
Interestingly, Brewer does have a history with the baby Lakers on the Pelicans roster after playing half a season with them in 2017-18. Ingram and Brewer, particularly, have a close relationship as he described last year.
“…that was like my vet. [Brewer] talked to me about everything. Everything that went on behind the scenes, some of the stuff that you can’t say outside [of the locker room] and in front of everybody else. We called each other ‘The Thin Twins.’ We were both under 190 pounds. That’s my dude. He’s been really, really good to me.”
It’d be pretty easy to spin this as another reason Ingram might stay, but all indications are that Ingram will be staying in New Orleans with his restricted free agency to be short-lived this off-season.
On the flip side, the Pelicans appear to have lost an assistant coach and an important one at that in Chris Finch. Interviewed for the head coaching job in Indiana, Finch eventually was passed over for the position. With a new regime led by Stan Van Gundy coming in this season, Finch opted to move on from New Orleans and will join Nick Nurse in Toronto, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Ironically, Finch is likely filling the role vacated by Nate Bjorkgren who was the candidate the Pacers chose to hire as head coach.
In his 13 years in the NBA, Brewer has had plenty of experience with Harden and Westbrook — both as a teammate and on the opposing side.
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During his 13 years in the NBA, veteran swingman Corey Brewer has had plenty of experience dealing with Houston Rockets superstars and recent league MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Over portions of three seasons from late 2014 to early 2017, Brewer was Harden’s teammate with the Rockets. In numerous other years, the long 6-foot-9 swingman was often tasked by other Western Conference teams with defending the perennial MVP candidate as best he can.
Meanwhile, Brewer played alongside Westbrook in Oklahoma City during the 2017-18 season and became a starter in the playoffs. In other years, as with Harden, Brewer was frequently asked to defend Westbrook. Given his length and defensive versatility, Brewer has guarded players over his extended career ranging from point guards to power forwards.
In a new Basketball News column, Brewer analyzes his defensive strategies against “The Beard,” Westbrook, and other stars.
Here’s what Brewer said about Harden:
James is one of the best scorers, if not the best scorer, in the history of the NBA. When I’m guarding him, I’m trying to make everything tough. I played with him, so I know what spots he likes to get to — he likes to get to the rim, he’s going left, he loves to shoot the stepback going right, he loves to put you asleep with his dribble and go by you. He’s just so skilled with the ball. He knows how to take you to the rim and draw those fouls.
If I’m matched up on James, I’m trying to just switch it up at all times. I’m trying to pressure him. I’m trying to wear him down. But I’m also trying to not let him get to the rim; it’s easy to say, but hard to do. So my mindset when I’m guarding James is to make it hard on him, but I also want him to take the tough shots. I kinda want him to shoot the stepback a lot. I know some people say it’s his best shot, but I’d rather him shoot the stepback than go to the rim and get an and-one because that’s an easier shot, in my mind.
James is a special player and when you’re guarding somebody as good as James is with the ball, you have to take something away. For me, I want to take the rim away and make him shoot those stepbacks. He may beat me on some nights with the stepbacks, but he’s gonna beat me every night going to the rim and drawing fouls.
Brewer also said he prefers to pick up Harden the full length of the court in an attempt to “wear him down,” as we saw during a January 2019 game when Brewer was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers:
I like to pressure him to wear him down, so I’m gonna pick James up 94 feet and try to bother him all over the court. As soon as the ball is inbounded, I’m picking him up and trying to wear him down because I feel like I can get an advantage by making him work for everything. Hopefully, by the fourth quarter, those stepbacks become a lot tougher than they were in the first quarter. Even if he’s making some in the first half, I feel like if I’m playing hard enough and pressing him enough, those shots will be way harder in the fourth quarter and that gives my team a chance to win.
As for Westbrook, Brewer wants him to take as many jump shots as possible while limiting opportunities in transition. He explains:
You’ve got to be on high alert the whole night when you’re guarding Russell. He’s gonna come and keep coming no matter what. He just keeps going and going. It doesn’t matter how many shots he misses, he feels like the next one is gonna be in the bottom of the bucket no matter what, and that makes him not only tough, but special. He’s really hard to guard, especially when he’s driving to the basket. So you want him to shoot jump shots because that’s basically him letting you off the hook. I really want him to shoot jump shots, but then again, I don’t want him to make one because if he makes one, he may just get hot and go crazy.
He’s tough; you want him to shoot, but you’ve gotta guard him tough. I just try to get a hand up and, hopefully, he tries to shoot over me. But man, when he gets it in transition, he’s one of the best to ever do it — and that’s why he’s been an MVP and why he’s still one of the best playing right now. When he’s not hurt, he’s a special talent.
Now 34 years old, Brewer is an unsigned free agent heading into the 2020 offseason. Earlier this year, he played five games for the Sacramento Kings at the NBA “bubble” in August, largely in mop-up duty.
In his Basketball News column, Brewer also offers his perspective on guarding LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, and Carmelo Anthony.
An upcoming “part two” of Brewer’s series will include breakdowns of how he guarded retired legends such as Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, and former Rockets star Tracy McGrady.
Corey Brewer was a baller on the best Gators basketball team ever-plain and simple-winning 3-straight SEC titles and 2-straight NCAA titles.
Corey Brewer (2004-07) – Small Forward/Shooting Guard
Corey Brewer was a baller on the best Gators basketball team ever. Plain and simple.
Born in Portland, Tenn., Brewer played prep ball at Portland High School where he averaged 29.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game as a senior in 2003–04. His efforts earned him Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class 2A “Mr.Basketball”, McDonald’s All American and fourth-team Parade All-American honors, while Rivals.com pegged him as a four-star recruit, listing him at No. 7 among small forwards and the No. 31 player in the nation overall.
Brewer came to Gainesville on an athletic scholarship under head coach Billy Donovan in 2004, playing three years in Gainesville and providing a cornerstone for the program’s most accomplished basketball team. He posted the first triple-double in team history during his sophomore season, with his 13 assists setting the highest mark since Jason Williams dished out 17 for a school record back in 1997.
During Brewer’s collegiate career at Florida, he and his fellow starters won three-straight SEC titles from 2005-07 and two-straight NCAA titles from 2006-07. While prognosticators predicted him to be a mid-first round pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, he and his fellow teammates all returned for the second national championship to cement their legacy in UF immortality.
He averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game during his junior campaign, proving his versatility both with and without the ball. Brewer was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 Final Four after averaging 16 points and five rebounds per game, including 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block in the national championship game against Ohio State.
Brewer declared for the NBA Draft with teammates Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green three days after claiming their second NCAA crown. He was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played 79 games with 35 starts his rookie year. However, he lost the 2008-09 season to an ACL tear after playing only 15 games, though he bounced back the next year posting a career-high 13 points along with 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in a full 82 appearances.
In 2011, Brewer was a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks. He was waived by the Knicks without ever playing a game with the team and picked up by the Dallas Mavericks, where he made 13 underwhelming appearances before being traded to Denver in December of 2011.
Brewer’s game rebounded and even flourished in the Mile High City, finishing off the 2011-12 season much stronger than in Dallas, and playing a full 82 games the following season while recording the first of three-straight seasons averaging double-figure points.
The “Greyhound’s” career since has been mostly mediocre, failing to reach double-digit points average in a season since 2014-2015 in a campaign split between a return to Minneapolis and the Houston Rockets. Over the course of 12 seasons, Brewer has played for eight different teams — most recently with the Sacramento Kings in the 2018-19 season, which began with a couple of 10-day contracts and resulted in a veteran minimum contract to finish the season.
Brewer did not play in the NBA this past season, though he has been quoted in saying that there is still fuel left in the tank and he plans on continuing his preparation routines. So far in his professional career, he has averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 814 games played. Hopefully, the NBA has not seen the last of “The Drunken Dribbler” just yet.
The NBA will allow teams to sign a replacement player if there’s an injury, a positive COVID-19 test or a player who chooses to sit out.
As the NBA prepares to resume the 2019-20 season in July, more details about the league’s plan are coming to light. In the event of an injury or a positive COVID-19 test during training camp or the regular season, teams will be able to sign replacement players from the free-agent pool.
The NBA will allow each team to bring 17 players (including their two-way guys) to Disney’s Wide World of Sports. There won’t be a limit on how many replacement players a team can sign, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Once the playoffs start on August 17, teams won’t be able to add any replacement players.
Every night, players will be tested for COVID-19; if a player tests positive, they must self-quarantine for 10-14 days while their team continues playing.
Not only will replacement players be necessary in the event of positive tests, they also could be called upon if a player is injured. Most teams will arrive in Orlando healthier than usual at this point in the season thanks to the four-month break, but a number of trainers and players have expressed concern that there could be more injuries than usual when the season resumes. After all, players have been working out on their own since mid-March and it’s hard to mimic game movements and intensity while training alone. Ramping back up slowly with a training camp (and potentially two or three exhibition games) should help, but there’s still increased injury risk.
Because this is an unprecedented situation, people around the NBA have no idea how teams will approach this transaction window and how many replacement players will be signed.
“I’m not sure if teams will rush to sign guys,” an agent said. “NBA rosters are already the biggest of any major sport in terms of the ratio of players on the roster to players on the court/field,” the agent explained. “In the NBA, it’s 15:5 (or 3:1) whereas it’s 25:9 (or 2.8:1) in MLB and 53:22 (or 2.4:1) in the NFL. And that doesn’t even include two-way players. I’m sure every team is aware of all the available G League guys and free agents. But in the playoffs, most rotations shrink to nine or 10 guys anyway. So, if you have 15 players, you should have five extra guys.”
“I’m curious to see if teams will sign free agents,” one Western Conference executive added. “I have no idea what will happen. At the end of the day, we’re just talking about a 15th man most likely, right?”
One Eastern Conference general manager pointed out that some teams may not consider signing replacement players at all, even if there is an injury or a positive COVID-19 test. Since a replacement player would have to quarantine for 10-14 days before playing, the team’s injured or sick player may be close to returning by the time the replacement player is finally able to take the court.
“I think as long as a team doesn’t have multiple players who get sick at the same time, they won’t sign anyone,” the general manager said. “I think most teams will just wait for their sick player to return.”
Some NBA teams with an open roster spot may decide to sign a free agent prior to arriving in Orlando rather than waiting until an injury or positive test occurs to address their depth. Technically, this player wouldn’t be a “replacement player,” but he’d be stashed on their roster in case of emergency. This would allow the player to go through training camp with the team as well as the initial quarantine period in Orlando. Then, if there is an injury or positive test, he would be able to play right away rather than having to quarantine for 10-14 days upon arrival like a replacement player would have to do.
Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about how some players may choose not to play when the season resumes in Orlando. In recent weeks, a number of executives brought up this possibility and openly wondered what would happen if their players sit out because they didn’t want to be in the bubble for months and risk their health. Now, some players are also concerned that resuming play would shift the public’s focus away from the Black Lives Matter movement.
While it’s possible that enough NBA players speaking up would force the NBPA to back out of the plan to resume play, it seems more likely that the NBA will just allow each player to make their own decision when it comes to participating. If a player chooses to sit out, their team will resume play without them. These players wouldn’t face any consequences (aside from not being paid) and NBA teams would be allowed to sign a replacement player to take their place, according to a recent article by Wojnarowski.
There’s also some concern that players on fringe playoff teams will opt to play, but then want to leave the bubble or sit out as soon as their team is mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Players won’t want to put their health at risk and stay in the bubble if they aren’t playing for something. Some players (such as Damian Lillard) have already said that they wouldn’t risk their health to participate in meaningless games, and who could blame them?
“I feel like the eighth seed and the ninth seed could partially be determined by whose schedule sets them up against teams who are ‘tanking’ at the end,” said one Western Conference executive.
DeMarcus Cousins is one of the free agents who’s eligible to be signed. (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
Interestingly, not all free agents are eligible to be signed as replacement players.
In order to be eligible, a player had to be on an NBA or G League roster this season or last season. Players who were overseas as of March 11, 2020 (when the NBA season was suspended) are not eligible to be signed, which rules out some notable free agents such as Lance Stephenson, Donatas Motiejunas, Greg Monroe and Miles Plumlee. If a player started the season overseas but got a FIBA clearance before March 11, they are eligible to be signed as long as they were on an NBA or G League roster in 2019-20 or 2018-19 (like Willie Reed, for example, who was in Greece to start the season but then got his FIBA clearance and signed with a G League team).
There are plenty of of notable free agents and former G League players who are eligible to be signed including DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison, Jamal Crawford, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, Nik Stauskas, Kenneth Faried, Tyler Zeller, Jerian Grant, Corey Brewer, Tyler Johnson, Jodie Meeks, Michael Beasley, Nick Young, Trey Burke, Allen Crabbe, Jordan Bell, Justin Anderson, Tim Frazier, Tyrone Wallace, Ivan Rabb, Jarrod Uthoff, Amile Jefferson, Jonah Bolden, Tyler Ennis, Josh Magette, JP Macura, Ryan Broekhoff and Yante Maten among others.
While it’ll be interesting to see how the 22 NBA teams in the bubble utilize the replacement players, the eight teams who aren’t resuming play will be allowed to sign players during this transaction window too. Don’t be surprised if some of these teams take advantage of this opportunity to add a free agent and acquire their Bird rights.
“I would be on the lookout for a smart non-bubble team to add someone during the transaction window,” one NBA agent said. “Any team can sign guys from that same pool of talent and, I assume, pay guys the same pro-rated amount.”
In Wojnarowski’s article about replacement players, he confirmed that “the eight teams left out of the Orlando resumption are allowed to waive or sign players during the transaction window,” although “they cannot sign a player to a two-way contract.”
It’s worth noting that a lot of these details are still being worked out and nothing is official as of yet. Several agents and executives pointed out that they’re receiving these updates through social media, just like the rest of us, and awaiting further instruction from the league or NBPA.
With the NBA reportedly set to expand rosters ahead of the league’s restart, here are five free agents the New Orleans Pelicans could sign.
As the league restarts in Orlando in July, the expectation is that the league will allow for expanded rosters. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the league is eyeing an expansion to 17 roster spots, two more than the current 15.
“Teams are allowed to bring as many as 17 players to Orlando, including 14 or 15 players on a standard NBA contract and additional two-way spots.”
While the wording can lead to confusion, the consensus seems to be that the league will allow two more players per team on top of the two-way players. This would allow teams more players to practice with and more players to play with to take some of the physical strain off the current roster of players and, ideally, reduce injuries.
The Pelicans already have a short-staffed roster with Darius Miller out for the season with an Achilles injury. If the NBA does expand the rosters, New Orleans could likely be one of the first teams to take advantage of that opportunity.
But which players are still available and who might be the players the Pelicans would target? Here’s a look at five players New Orleans could sign for the league’s restart.
Here are three free agents who could help the Philadelphia 76ers on their 2020 playoff run.
As the NBA gets set to resume, the league has set parameters in the event a player was to test positive for the novel coronavirus. In that case, a team can sign a free agent who has been under an NBA or G League contract in the previous two years to replace that player on the roster.
Under those same parameters, the league also is allowing teams to carry up to 17 players as the season gets set to resume in a “bubble site” in Orlando in late July. This would give the 22 teams headed to Orlando to resume the season a few options to look at and help them on their upcoming playoff run.
Players who have signed an NBA/G League deal this year or a previous year are expected to be available to sign in restarted season — making Jamal Crawford or JR Smith eligible, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium. https://t.co/v6Ntr4pb2t
Alex Kennedy was joined by 12-year NBA veteran Corey Brewer on The HoopsHype Podcast. He discussed his childhood, his two titles as a Florida Gator, his draft-night experience, his 51-point game in 2014, teammate superlatives (such as the “best leader” he played with, the “hardest worker” and so on), his 2011 championship with the Dallas Mavericks, his current free agency and more. Listen above or read the transcribed Q&A below.
Growing up, you would get up really early and work with your father in the tobacco fields and help with his trash-collection job. Do you think that helped shape your work ethic?
Corey Brewer: Oh, definitely, for sure. Getting up early and having to go to the field when it’s really hot outside in Tennessee in the summer, I think that makes you appreciate things a lot more. I used to go to the tobacco field and I had to set the tobacco, I had to cut it, I had to chop it out, I had to top it, I had to strip it, I had to put it in a barn, I had to drive the tractor, I had to plow the fields… I pretty much did everything there was to do in a tobacco field. My dad also had a trash route, so I had to go pick up other people’s trash and that really wasn’t fun. (laughs) But that was the job I had to do; it was his job. It was hard work.
How old were you when you started helping?
CB: Ever since I can remember. I remember being 4 years old and going to the field with my dad. I just always went to the field ever since I was a little kid, so I didn’t know anything different.
You were at the University of Florida for three years and you won two national championships. You played with Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Mo Speights among others. What was it like to be part of those dominant Gators squads?
CB: It was amazing. College was amazing. Just going to the University of Florida and being able to play with the guys that played with – Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey, Marreese Speights, Chris Richard, Walter Hodge – we had a lot of good players. Just to be there and have a chance to win, that’s what it’s all about, and we got to win two national championships. There’s no place better, no other place to go, than the University of Florida.
The Gators also won the college football national championship in 2006 and 2008, led by Tim Tebow. When Mo Speights was on the podcast, he talked about how much fun it was to be a Gator and be on campus at that time. How much fun was that?
CB: It was amazing. It was so much fun, Mo was right. It was so much fun, just being on campus and just winning. The football team was winning, the basketball team was winning, our gymnastics team was good, our softball team was good… Everybody was good, so it was fun. When everybody’s winning, everybody’s happy. When you’re winning like that, the whole school is happy, so it was great!
These days, we see many players who are one-and-done in college. You, Noah and Horford could’ve left school after the 2005-06 season as first-round picks, but you decided to stay and defend your title. What went into that decision and how did three years of college help you?
CB: It helped me a lot, I think. It helped me mature, just being under Coach [Billy] Donovan for an extra year, learning the game and getting better. But it was a tough decision. The NBA is unbelievable; it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to be able to get drafted. Everybody thought that we should have left, but I think our friendship and just being able to be with each other for another year was the reason we went back.
Now, many players enter the NBA after just one year in college. Do you think some players would benefit from staying in college longer?
CB: I think it just depends on everybody’s situation. I feel like if they have a good support system with them, it’s okay for young guys to go to the league. It’s the guys who don’t have a good support system who are overwhelmed once they get in the league and they don’t understand that it’s a different world and they don’t know how to help themselves or they don’t have the right tools to help them be the best player they can be. But I think if kids can go to college, they should. I would always advise kids to go to college because there are a lot of great college coaches and you’re able to mature and you’re able to be out on your own.
Photo by Chris Stepping-Pool/Getty Images
In the 2007 draft, Horford went No. 3, you went No. 7 and Noah went No. 9. That must have been so exciting. What are your favorite memories from your draft night?
CB: Just being with those guys! Joakim and Al, they were in the green room with me. When you’re in the green room, it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’re sitting there, you don’t know what to expect, there’s all of these people and your name is about to get called. You’re about to be in the NBA! Just being with those guys and going through the process with them, it was so much fun.
Back in 2014, you had 51 points and 6 steals in a win against the Houston Rockets. Only three other NBA players have had a 50-point, 6-steal game (Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Rick Barry). Walk me through that night and how you were feeling.
CB: I was feeling pretty good! (laughs) When I got to the arena, my man Kevin Martin said he wasn’t gonna be playing and then Kevin Love wasn’t gonna play either. So I was like, “Oh man, that’s a lot of scoring right there. There’s gonna be some opportunities to go out here and get some shots up.” Once the game started, I made my first three or four shots and then I felt like I couldn’t miss after that. It was just so much fun. I got a guy like Ricky Rubio just outletting the ball to me and getting me easy lay-ups, JJ Barea kept telling me to go [score] and Dante Cunningham was really happy. They were all behind me, my teammates. All of my teammates were great that night.
You’ve played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings. When you look back, which season was the most fun for you?
CB: Man, I had a lot of fun seasons… The year we went to the Western Conference Finals when I was in Houston was a lot of fun. We played really well. I think we ran into Golden State in the Western Conference Finals, but we had some injuries; Patrick Beverley wasn’t playing and [Donatas Motiejunas] got hurt. But that was a fun year, just to get all the way to the Western Conference Finals. And the way we came back to beat the Clippers, that was a lot of fun.
Of all the teams that you’ve played on, which team was the closest or had the best chemistry?
CB: When I played in Denver, that team was real close. We had a lot of chemistry. I think that was another one of my funnest years, when I was in Denver. That’s the year that we were the three seed and I think we won, like, 40 games at home. We were really close. I think we ran into Golden State again! I think Golden State beats me every year in the playoffs. (laughs) I think that was the first year they became Golden State. We got beat by those guys and [Danilo] Gallinari and [Kenneth] Faried got hurt. But that was a good year. That team was really close.
Was it difficult playing for eight teams in 12 years? I mean, you were constantly adjusting to new coaches, new teammates, new cities and so on. Was bouncing around from team to team difficult for you?
CB: It was difficult but, for me, I just love basketball. The way I look at it, I get the opportunity to play basketball, so it doesn’t matter where I’m playing as long as I get to play. And I’m playing in the NBA, which is the best job in the world. So I took it as, “Hey, it’s an opportunity to see different cities and different organizations,” and I just tried to learn something everywhere I went.
You played with so many great players over the years, so I want to hit you with some superlatives and you choose a teammate or two who fits that description and explain why. Sound good?
CB: All good, let’s go.
Who was the best leader that you played with?
CB: The best leader? Man… I’d say Jason Kidd. He was great, just being out there the year we won the championship, the way he was leading, the way he got the ball to Dirk [Nowitzki] and Jason Terry and all of us, he made everybody happy. He was like another coach on the floor.
Who was the hardest worker?
CB: Man, I’ve played with a lot of great players and they’re all hard workers. James Harden is one of the hardest-working guys I played with, for sure. And I don’t think [people realize that]. People think he gets all these calls and stuff, but he’s talented and the way he scores and the way he works on his game, his step-backs and all of that stuff, he works hard on all that. And Dirk, man. Dirk was always out there perfecting his craft – the one-leg stuff, the fadeaways… He really worked on his game. Those two guys are definitely at the top.
Who was the best trash-talker?
CB: Shawn Marion is a pretty good trash talker. (laughs) His trash-talk was good. Jason Terry was really good. Yeah, those two guys for that.
Who was the smartest teammate?
CB: Man, I played with a lot of smart guys. Off the top of my head, I have to go with Jason Kidd, for sure. Ricky Rubio was really smart and the way he would make certain passes was amazing; he was seeing stuff before it happened. And I have to go James Harden again. He knew how to score and he could figure out [defenses].
Who was the best guy to party with?
CB: Best guy to party with? I had a lot of great teammates… James [Harden] is fun, definitely. And Jason Terry, for sure.
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
I loved that Mavs team. I had Shawn Marion on the podcast recently and we talked about how you guys were viewed as big underdogs in the 2011 NBA Finals. But even though everyone was doubting you guys and picking the Miami Heat to win, you guys seemed to know that you’d win it all.
CB: Yeah, we just had that feeling. You know when you’re playing your best basketball and you just feel like you’ll win? I think that’s the same way we felt the year that we won our first national championship [at Florida]. We won and nobody gave us a chance; we were ranked, like, 75th in the beginning of the year. But I feel like when you just hit a groove, you just feel like you can beat anybody and that’s the same feeling we had when I was on that Dallas team. I felt like those guys had that mentality. Shawn [Marion] and DeShawn Stevenson both thought they could guard LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Dirk knew what he could do. He was Dirk, man! And J-Kidd was just the great leader that he is. We had Jason Terry coming off the bench and he could just score [at will]. And then JJ Barea played out of his mind; he was amazing and you gotta give him a lot of credit for the way he played. Tyson Chandler was our big anchor on defense. Our bench was great too with Peja Stojakovic – one of the best shooters to ever play in the NBA – and big Brendan Haywood coming in at center. We just had a really good team and I think everybody believed.
To this day, I think that squad is underrated.
CB: Oh, for sure. It’s definitely underrated, man. It was a great team and I think if guys could’ve come back for another year, we had another chance to make a run at a championship again. But, yeah, it was a really good team.
Since 2007, when you entered the NBA, the league has evolved a lot. There’s more three-point shooting, there’s a bigger emphasis on versatility and positionless basketball, there’s a ton of switching on defense and things like that. How much has the game changed from when you entered the NBA to now?
CB: It’s changed a lot. It’s like a whole 180, I guess you could say. When I first came into the league, you had guys like Yao and Shaq who were still in the league; you had dominant forces and you’d just throw it to them on the block. I played with Al Jefferson during my rookie year and he could really score, so we went in the post a lot. We threw him the ball for most of the game. And then, at the end of my career, now, it’s really not a post game. (laughs) It’s all about shooting threes, playing fast and, like you said, positionless basketball, so it’s changed a lot.
I remember when I got to Denver in 2011-12, the way that George Karl wanted us to play was basically the same. We played Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler at the four a lot and they were spacers. It created so much space and we shot a lot of threes and played really fast. So, I knew the game was gonna go in a different direction. And that year in the playoffs, we played against Golden State. I think David Lee got hurt, so Draymond Green had to play and the way he was just playing point forward, you kind of knew where the game was going.
You’re currently a free agent and you want to continue playing. Have you received interest from any teams throughout this season?
CB: Yeah, we had some talks with a few teams, but nothing really happened. My agent is still working on it, so we’ll see. I feel like I can still help a team and I feel like I have a few good years left. But you never know, man. It’s a lot of young guys now. But we’ll see what happens.
I feel like you can help a team on and off the court. In addition to your play, you can help a team as a strong veteran presence.
CB: For sure. I can point out some things that can help the young guys. There are a lot of little things in basketball that guys really need help with. They only see the big picture, they don’t see the little things.
How much basketball did you watch this season?
CB: I watched a lot. I love basketball and since I’m hoping to have a chance to play, I have to keep watching so I know what’s going on. It was a lot of good basketball being played. The Milwaukee Bucks looked really good, and the Lakers were playing great basketball. It was a lot of good basketball.
How are you staying ready and in shape during this time?
CB: I’ve just been working out at my house, just running, doing pool workouts, getting on the elliptical, doing ball-handling outside and all the little things that I can do just to stay ready.
I recently did an article about how players are staying in shape at home and one NBA coach suggested that veterans may have an advantage during this break since they know all of the drills and have experience keeping their body in shape whereas young players rely on their trainers and coaches more. Do you agree that veterans will have an easier time staying in shape during this time?
CB: Yeah, for sure. Just because veteran guys, we’ve been around, we know what to expect, we know what our body needs and we know what we have to do to keep our game sharp. The young guys are used to having their trainers always telling them what to do, so it’s a little harder for them.
In the past, you’ve said that you want to get into coaching when your playing days are over. I know you have some interest in broadcasting too. What do you want to pursue when you’re done playing?
CB: Both of those things. I really like broadcasting and I feel like I know the game, I can talk about the game and I can see stuff that normal people probably don’t see out there on the court. Also, coaching, it goes hand-in-hand. Because I can see the little things, I can help young guys and develop guys. Sometimes, a guy is a borderline superstar and they just need a little advice, a little help that can really push them over the edge.
Do you think having so many different coaches and teammates throughout your career will help you as a coach or as a broadcaster?
CB: Oh, for sure. I’ve had so many teammates, so I really know the players. In addition to that, I know the different systems because I played for a lot of great coaches. I played for Hall of Fame coaches like George Karl, Rick Carlisle, Rick Adelman, Kevin McHale… With the knowledge that they bring, I feel like I took something from each of those coaches.
