Richard Jefferson

Grant Williams is the key X-factor for the Celtics if the Warriors go small

I would say the two people... I mentioned Grant Williams, I think Grant Williams... he's going to be key because the Warriors just force everyone to play small... If he plays well, like he did in the Milwaukee series where he hit eight threes, 93, whatever it was, then, you know, Boston's going to be a problem.

Brad Stevens moved to the front office because he knew the Celtics needed a different voice to reach the next level

I want somebody that I believe can take these guys to the next level. ... It doesn't mean that Brad couldn't win a championship as an NBA head coach. ... It just means that this, he just wanted to be in a, in a different space. So he, but he's still there in a day to day.

Milwaukee would have won the East and reached the Finals if Khris Middleton was healthy

I think that Milwaukee was the best team this year. If they would have had Middleton, they'd be in final right now.

The Warriors will win the NBA Finals in 7 games with an overtime finale

I'm going to [say] warriors in seven in an overtime game seven. Wow.

The Brooklyn Nets season is a success if they reach the conference finals, it's not championship or bust

If they get to the conference finals and lose to Milwaukee or lose to a Boston, I think that's a great season. I don't think it's championship or bust, even if they have championship goals... when you have a new group together, it's not a one-year championship or bust.

Giannis Antetokounmpo cannot be your best player in the final two minutes of a playoff game

Giannis might be when it comes down to the last two, three minutes of the game, he can't be your best player because of the style of game that he has... not a great free throw shooter, not a great jump shooter, everybody packs the paint... if you put James Harden on that team and late game where you need a bucket, you need free throws... he would be a perfect fit.

The Atlanta Hawks will crack the top five spots in the Eastern Conference this year.

I say Atlanta. Because you look at what they added... you add another score, another shooter to that team... I truly believe that they'll finish strong and all of a sudden they start moving up the ranks. So I like Atlanta.

Championship teams don't need to be friends, they just need to respect each other

There is no championship team that are just holding hands and skipping their way to the finals. There's going to be moments where you don't want to talk to each other... you have to respect each other. You don't have to get along. I think that's been proven time in and time out.

The US Select team was created because my 2004 Olympic team was so embarrassing

Argentina happened... I felt like what better way to be ambassadors than to let another country win... That actually started the process of USA [Basketball Select Team]... they're like, okay, enough of these riff raffs.

Kevin Durant is the most unguardable human being ever created

What I'm saying is that when you look at all these guys [MJ, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron]... [Durant] does things at such an efficient level and at such a high rate. He's a seven-foot two-guard. He shoots 90% from the free-throw line. He's shooting 50% from three right now... if you had to create a basketball player, I think the two guys that you would create are probably Bron and KD for very different reasons.

Kevin Durant turned Steph Curry into Scottie Pippen

We all know how great Steph is, but how good are you when you show up to a team with a two-time MVP and you immediately turn him into Pippen? And he's in the prime of his career.

To fix the Lakers, the front office needs to be cleared and someone should be stolen from the Spurs

I would change everyone that's in my front office, and then I would go and steal someone from the Spurs... There needs a lot more checks and balances. I think even Jeanie Buss needs somebody that can tell her no or can go in there and win an argument. And it doesn't have to be someone that she's friends with for 20 years.

Houston will win Game 3 against the Warriors, or they will get swept

I'm going to say Houston is going to win one game. And if Houston wins one game, the only game they will be able to win was game three. If they don't win game three, obviously they're going to get swept, in my opinion.

Scott Foster is the ideal referee for a road team because he is a 'dickhead' who ignores the home crowd

If I was going into Boston on the road, I want to see Scott Foster. Those kind of dickheads, those assholes, those guys that are kind of just like, 'leave me alone, I have to do my job.' ... If anything, if the home team or the home crowd starts acting like jerks, they will actually go the other way.

The NBA is better than any other league at staying relevant through drama during the off-season

The best thing about the NBA is they have done a great job of never having it end. So as soon as the NBA season ends, then you have the draft... free agency starts... summer league... then Kyrie demands a trade... it's a soap opera. It is the best.

Mainstream sports media is struggling because players now have their own platforms to control the narrative

That right there is why people and athletes kind of don't have the best relationship with the media. And it's why people start their own podcast or people do things on Uninterrupted or if people want to go on their own Instagram or Facebook Live. And I think that's why mainstream media, especially in sports, is struggling a little bit.

Athletes shouldn't retire just because they aren't at an MVP level anymore; as long as they love competing, they should keep playing.

If you're still doing what you love, and I'll tell you from our perspective, only fans can put expectations on you... My son gets to come to the game and watch me and I get to play in front of 30,000 people. You should never be sad. Be happy about the moments that you have and then enjoy what you can have moving forward.

Michael Jordan is the GOAT, followed by LeBron, Kareem, Tim Duncan, and Magic Johnson

I'll go MJ 1. I'll go LeBron 2—still counting, though... Then at three, I would go Kareem. Four, I would go probably Tim. Then five, I would go Magic. Magic and Kobe are really, really close.

Magic Johnson is the face of the Lakers and the best Laker of all time over Kobe Bryant

I would still say Magic is the face of the Lakers. I think from a personality standpoint and just generationally, like Kobe was amazing what he was able to do... but I would still say Magic is the face of the Lakers.

I want to play one more NBA season after the 2017-18 season

God willing, body willing, I would like to play one more season after this one coming up.

LeBron James is the hardest working player I have ever been around

LeBron is the hardest working guy that I've ever been around. And I've played with Dirk, Tim Duncan, Steph Curry, Jason Kidd... the amount of time that he takes on his body... i'm just saying when I look at how hard the guy works, then I think a lot of that has to do with why he has avoided injuries.

LeBron James is the best player of our generation

LeBron to me is the best player of our generation. LeBron is the best player that I've ever played against so over my 17 years in this league. But it's weird because he is the best player I've ever played with. I played with Tim Duncan, I played with Jason Kidd... I've seen Tim do some absurd shit. Jay Kidd I got to see every day... but LeBron is the best.

The Cleveland-Golden State rivalry is the only time NBA fans actually feel vulnerable

When Golden State shows up in our building, that is the first time all year that you're like... You can feel the anxiety of 20 something thousand people... to me, that's an energy that you only get in the NBA finals, like where you literally feel vulnerable for the first time in months.

Steph Curry's comments about the Cavs' locker room smelling like champagne were disrespectful

That's why Steph made those comments about, 'oh, I hope their locker room still smells like champagne.' He said that after they won the first championship and they beat Cleveland in game six. And it was kind of a shot. It's a little disrespectful to say that. I love Steph, I don't know if he meant it to be really disrespectful, but yeah, you say that, it's like, 'hey, it was a good win.'

NBA players are unfairly criticized for moving teams compared to teams trading players

Kairi [Kyrie], what Boston did to Isaiah [Thomas], you know, it's just a part of our job... and yes it personally connected and it hurts at times. But when players decide to leave in free agency, it's 'let's burn a jersey.' No, this guy we gave you... when KD decided to go and do what he wanted to do with Golden State... we aren't allowed to do it without being criticized. But team can trade the players. They can play chess with us as much as they want.