by Ben Collins
“For sure. This is the biggest game of my life.” — Andrew Bynum on Game 5.
“(Playing on my bad knee) is not going to make anything worse (in the future).” — Andrew Bynum, who had his knee numbed and drained before practice.
“Sunday’s game is a must-win. This team doesn’t want to go to L.A. down 3-2.” — Andrew Bynum.
“It’s just tape. It helps push fluid to the lymph nodes.” — Andrew Bynum, on the Matrix-like pattern of thin tape on his knees.
“Hey, let’s do it. We’ve gotta negotiate. Can we get this thing on VH1?” — Big Baby, on SLAMonline’s Nate and Big Baby buddy cop show idea “Little Man, Large Infant” and its ensuing petition.
“That’s all fun and games, but that’s over with. It’s a three-game series now.” — Big Baby on the Shrek and Donkey talk.
“Doc always thinks I’m a one-hit wonder. I think he’s trying to get the most out of me.You have one kids play on that level during the Finals — to call him a one-hit wonder?” — Big Baby on Doc Rivers’ confidence in him.
“He’s a grumpy old grandpa.” — Big Baby on Doc Rivers.
“What do you mean? Of course it’s important.” — Rajon Rondo on winning Game 5.
“I’m just worried about the one trophy that we can go and take pictures with with my family.” — Tony Allen.
“Just get me the damn ball, like Keyshawn Johnson.” — Paul Pierce on what it takes to get him aggressive.
“To be honest with you, I think the perception of Boston is a lot different when you live here, and I understand it now. I don’t think it’s a white and black thing. … If you’re a student of the game and you understand the severity of the tradition here, all of that comes into play with the responsibility of putting of putting the green on. It’s not a black or white thing here.” — KG, candidly, on race.
“I would be very happy.” — Doc Rivers, on what he would say to Derek Fisher, who said he learned from Doc’s game tapes how to flop as a point guard.
“I never flopped as a player. I was the cleanest player ever.” — Doc Rivers.
“I know one thing you can’t do is make a decision a week after a season. Whether you win or lose, you can’t. You just can’t.” — Doc Rivers on the odds of him returning next year.
“So, as far as work, I’m still here. But the kids are always — that’s the issue each year, do you want to see… I’ve got to see them at some point.” — Doc Rivers.
“Pau Gasol, I gave him an adventure story about Barcelona. Kobe Bryant, I gave him a book about my home state, where I grew up in eastern Montana. Derek Fisher, I gave him Soul on Ice.” — Phil Jackson, the human library.
“It wasn’t really about Barcelona — a little bit, a few pages occurred in Barcelona — but it was very brief. The one before happened in Spain, mostly, but it was more about bullfights and that tradition. But it wasn’t really that meaningful. It was a good book, but not that meaningful.” — Pau Gasol, the human library curator.
Second-Best Give-and-Take Between a Reporter and Player:
Reporter: “You didn’t want to go out and gore somebody or anything?”
Pau: “No, not at all.”
Reporter: “Just checking.”
Pau: “Thank you for checking.”
Best Give and Take Between a Reporter and Player:
Reporter: “Are you happy with the way you’ve played this series?”
Kobe: “I’m miserable.”
Reporter: “Anything you want to do better that you haven’t been doing?”
Kobe: “Not be miserable.”
