Heard from RJ since trade?

[chazley]

I've been waiting for him to talk, but it seems that he still hasn't done an interview since being traded. Does anyone have quotes/video?

[sa_butta]

KGGnb3jAeoY

[TheProfessor]

Mark Jackson looks so excited to be there.

[chazley]

Wish someone would've asked him how he felt about leaving the Spurs. Crappy questions in that interview.

[jestersmash]

Wish someone would've asked him how he felt about leaving the Spurs. Crappy questions in that interview.

That was basically the first question asked to R.J....

He answered in usual R.J. style "There were really no emotions, no emotional attachments." His tone was the usual "at the end of the day it's a business, go out and do your job, we're lucky to be basketball players in the first place, etc." talk.

R.J. would never say anything bad about the spurs publicly.

[The_Worlds_finest]

How could he bad mouth a franchise that gave him his current contract?

[therealtruth]

That was basically the first question asked to R.J....

He answered in usual R.J. style "There were really no emotions, no emotional attachments." His tone was the usual "at the end of the day it's a business, go out and do your job, we're lucky to be basketball players in the first place, etc." talk.

R.J. would never say anything bad about the spurs publicly.

As much as fans want to criticize him the guy was the ultimate professional. For whatever reason I don't think the chemistry between him and the big 3 was as great as it could have been.

[ploto]

No emotional attachments after the time he spent here? That actually says a lot!

[100%duncan]

No emotional attachments after the time he spent here? That actually says a lot!

agreed

[timvp]

Basketball is just a business to RJ. Can't really blame him since he's been very successful ... he's going to end up making more than $100,000,000 in his basketball career. I think he cared about winning but winning wasn't life or death to him like it is to ultra competitors like the Big 3 and Jack.

Whenever RJ was ever asked about winning, he'd always say something like: "It's just about hitting a few more shots than the other team in the fourth quarter during crunch time. People always try to pretend there's this huge gulf between winning and losing but it really comes down to a lot of luck and the ball going in the basket at the right time. I've lived out of my suitcase since I was 18 and the one thing I've learned is things are never as great as they seem after a win or as bad as they seem after a loss. Sure, you always hope you do well when it matters but at the end of the day you win as a team and lose as a team."

It's not like RJ was wrong for his way of thinking but if you are trying to win a championship, you need players who are so irrational that losing seems like the end of the world. In that sense, perhaps RJ was just too smart for his own good.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

No emotional attachments after the time he spent here? That actually says a lot!

Exactly! The guy for whatever reason was never emotionally vested in this team. And it showed, he had no passion on the court whatsoever.

[Leetonidas]

Weird that this is the guy who was shitting on us for half of Game 6 in 2003

[ducks]

rj had a decent game tonight

[therealtruth]

Some players are self motivated. Others need their coaches and teammates to help motivate them. RJ is that type. You wish Pop would have done more. The time he called them dogs RJ really responded.

[infinite styles]

No emotional attachments after the time he spent here? That actually says a lot!

This right here sounds like "I showed up in San Antonio to play basketball but emotionally I wasn't into it." A lot of times you could tell that in his play. He had spurts but nothing sustainable that would make you believe he was really into it. I have no doubt that he worked hard to fit in here, but for what reason? To get a long term contract or to actually help a team win. He was professional in the sense that he said the right things but its all about what you produce on the court.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i wonder what wouldve happen if the sperms didnt give him that extention, would we still be able to trade for jax?

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I think RJ just wants to take it easy and not gaf. GS will be perfect for him cuz it's uptempo offense and no pressure whatsoever. He just wants a paycheck and to be left alone.

Either way, we got Jackson, so I'm happy.

[TDMVPDPOY]

rj will have no problem with hand down man down

4-1 was just too much for 1 can handle

[100%duncan]

i think rj just wants to take it easy and not gaf. Gs will be perfect for him cuz it's uptempo offense and no pressure whatsoever. He just wants a paycheck and to be left alone.

Either way, we got jackson, so i'm happy.

+1

[Cane]

Before RJ signed for :greedy:greedy:greedy, there were sources that said RJ wasn't exactly happy with Coach Pop/Spurs and I think the talking heads on NBATV brought it up too.

Anyway RJ was bad news from the start. Sorry for going TMZ but he did cancel his wedding at the start of his Spurs career. He just wasn't there mentally and had a lot of shortcomings to answer to on the court. He did start the seasons pretty well though

[tmtcsc]

It's not like RJ was wrong for his way of thinking but if you are trying to win a championship, you need players who are so irrational that losing seems like the end of the world. In that sense, perhaps RJ was just too smart for his own good.

Ask any player, that aspires to be the best, what motivates them to win and they will most likely tell you its the "pain of losing". They can't stand it. The pain of losing is greater than the joy of winning because winning is the expected and desired outcome.

RJ played for the check.

[tmtcsc]

Basketball is just a business to RJ. Can't really blame him since he's been very successful ...

Well, he's certainly been successful at making money. Thanks to Jason Kidd, he was able to sniff the Finals too. Dem days are over.

[bluebellmaniac]

It's hard for me to understand how posters on these forums could expect emotional ties to the team/city given such strong and hateful views about him by the team's own fans. Those views expressed daily on these very forums.

Posters who never had a single positive thing to say about him, even for his good games, jump right in to give one more jab.

It is sad that so many 'fans' could not just reject but be downright hateful and intolerant of a player on their own team.

We have so far to go still...

[NewcastleKEG]

Basketball is just a business to RJ. Can't really blame him since he's been very successful ... he's going to end up making more than $100,000,000 in his basketball career. I think he cared about winning but winning wasn't life or death to him like it is to ultra competitors like the Big 3 and Jack.

Whenever RJ was ever asked about winning, he'd always say something like: "It's just about hitting a few more shots than the other team in the fourth quarter during crunch time. People always try to pretend there's this huge gulf between winning and losing but it really comes down to a lot of luck and the ball going in the basket at the right time. I've lived out of my suitcase since I was 18 and the one thing I've learned is things are never as great as they seem after a win or as bad as they seem after a loss. Sure, you always hope you do well when it matters but at the end of the day you win as a team and lose as a team."

It's not like RJ was wrong for his way of thinking but if you are trying to win a championship, you need players who are so irrational that losing seems like the end of the world. In that sense, perhaps RJ was just too smart for his own good.
Great post

[venitian navigator]

Great post

Completely agree with you and Timvp.
Except for some games, RJ looked never thrilled when not disinterested, like the situation he was into was like an ordinary one...instead of the one ideal (and for someone dreamed) for most basketball players : meaning a team that pays you a lot giving you a real chance to win it all in an environment that is one of the most quiet and anti-drama.
Like someone other said before, I would not take out of question that the breaking of his relationship (that was going to a marriage) at the beginning of the contract has totally changed, unfortunately when it was too late, the sort of the relationship between him and the family oriented spurs organization.
As of now, California (and San Francisco in particular) and Golden State are probably one of the best places to start over again with his life...the city is plenty of opportunities, the team is young and needs a veteran with experience.
I always liked RJ for what he always said and the good behavior off the field...RJ has really been an ultimate professional in that aspect and probably also tried to fit in any way in the team and organization (see that summer training with Pop).
He probably still respect our organization a lot...but he had it difficult to create a sort of "emotional" or "feeling" stuff with the situation he was in.
That was clear...he totally lacked any fire on the field...except for some games.
And, at the end, that's was he said in the interview...