Trans. May 3 11:30 ET (May 3 11:30 ET ) Fired Minnesota Timberwolves executive David Kahn told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that forward Kevin Love needs to earn back the respect of his teammates.
When word filtered out on Thursday night that the long-rumored separation between David Kahn and the Minnesota Timberwolves was nigh, many of us giddily rubbed our hands in anticipation of how the outgoing Wolves general manager would somehow make a bad situation worse by talking his way out of it. Kahn has made an NBA career out of insulting others’ intelligence , and in an interview with the Associated Press’ John Krawczynski, he got the ball rolling exactly as you’d expect:
Kahn to AP: "I've taken a lot of bullets for the team and will continue to do so. I'm happy to do it. That's what we're hired to do."
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) May 2, 2013
Martyrdom … engaged!
Not content to sit on that potshot after a disastrous personnel choosing career that left the Timberwolves with the same top two assets (Kevin Love, and Nikola Pekovic, both drafted by Kevin McHale) that were on the team’s books when Kahn entered the fray, David took to the local Star Tribune for a massive four-part interview with Wolves beat writer Jerry Zgoda . The results are expected, sometimes infuriating, with the notable anecdotes too ridiculously to ably paraphrase.
Allow us to introduce you to some of Kahn’s finer, final, moments.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Just when Kevin Love was getting ready to try to salvage something positive from a lost seasons, one more injury cropped up to end it all.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love calls this a wasted season for him. And now he's vowing to come back stronger than ever after injuries limited him to 18 games in what was supposed to be a big year for him and the Wolves.
Right around the time Spike Albrecht was introducing himself to America , Kevin Love's frustrating 2012-13 came to an end. The Minnesota Timberwolves announced Monday night that the All-Star power forward will miss the remainder of the regular season — but, in a bit of a twist, the season-ending injury has nothing to do with the two broken bones in his right hand that limited him to just 18 games this year. As FOX Sports North's Joan Niesen reported Monday, what's putting Love on the shelf for good is actually scar tissue that has built up in his left knee.
The arthroscopic procedure is reportedly intended to address an issue that cropped up several weeks after Love's January hand surgery and has become more acute in recent days. Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn told the team's website he "believes the procedure will take place on Wednesday in New York City," with Love's recovery expected to take four to six weeks and have him back in plenty of time for a full offseason workout program.
More from Kahn, via Wolves.com's Mark Remme :
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee later this week to remove a buildup of scar tissue, the team announced Monday.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love had his surgically repaired right hand examined on Wednesday and was given the green light to increase his conditioning program.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love met with a specialist on Wednesday to examine his surgically repaired right hand, and it doesn't appear the former All-Star will be ready to hit the court anytime soon.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Love is going to be taking a different approach to icing that healing right hand of his.
The Scoop: None.
Mar 7 3:31 ET
News (various sources)
Brandon Roy is likely gone for good, so let’s remember his best times (Video) (Ball Don't Lie) (13 Days Ago | courtesy: Video (Ball Don't Lie) Sometimes a player exits the NBA on terms that in no way reflect his talent. As reported by Yahoo!'s own Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves are formalizing the release of shooting guard Brandon Roy , effectively ending his career. After signing with Minnesota in the summer of 2012 , Roy showed little ability to play with his seriously damaged knees and managed just five games for 122 total minutes. It stands to reason that Roy will decide not to pursue another contract, and even if he did it's hard to know if any team would be interested in his services.
This is a sad moment for many reasons. Roy established himself as a star with the Portland Trail Blazers pretty much immediately upon his arrival in 2006, serving as the most dependable member of what many thought would be a championship-winning core of him, Greg Oden, and LaMarcus Aldridge. Oden's injury history is well-trod ground, but it's important to remember that Roy really was the player he was supposed to be — or better, even — for most of his first four seasons. He made three All-Star teams, won the Rookie of the Year award in 2006-07, and made two All-NBA Teams (second team in 2009, third team in 2010).
Focusing heavily on his "what if?" scenario neglects what was. Basketball fans didn't get all they wanted from Roy, but he accomplished a great deal before his knees broke down completely. We'll always be able to look back on the highlight mix at the top of this post, his last-gasp dominance of the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks for one game of the 2011 playoffs, or more personal memories of special plays. Roy's career is only a depressing tale if we choose to ignore what made his relatively brief time as a star so special in the first place. More...
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MADNESS!
