- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register: "Kobe Bryant quietly believes his fanatical training and body maintenance have him way ahead of the game in extending his career, that crooked right pinkie finger and the chronic tendinitis in the knees notwithstanding. How does his song go? It's Jay-Z's, and this is what it says: '30's the new 20. … I'm so hot still.' Bryant mentioned that song Monday just after saying about the coming season: 'Let's just keep rolling right now, man. I feel good.'"
- Gilbert Arenas for NBA.com: "Then she flipped the note over to see if there was anything written on the back and then looked at me weird. I said to her, 'You have to read it out loud.' So she goes, 'WILL YOU MARRY ME?' out loud so everybody could hear her. It worked. It turns out she ended up asking me to marry her. I was like, 'Oh my God!!!' and started screaming like the girl who gets asked normally does. 'I can't believe you asked me!!!! Of course I will!!! Oh my God, it's been six long years, what took you so long???!!!??? Oh my God!!! This is unbelievable!!!!' Everyone started cracking up and laughing."
- K.C. Johnson of the The Chicago Tribune: "Ben Gordon laughed when reporters entered the media room at the Berto Center Tuesday morning and found him eating breakfast instead of watching practice. 'I was watching,' Gordon said. 'Then I got hungry.' Properly fortified, Gordon returned to courtside and watched the team he is expected to join on the court Wednesday after signing either a one-year qualifying offer for $6.4 million or signing a six-year extension worth roughly $58 million."
- Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman: "The franchise and the face are going to grow up together. 'For him to come here early in his career ... ,' Thunder point guard Earl Watson said, '20 years from now, 30 years from now, you think of the Thunder being in Oklahoma City, you're going to have to think of Kevin Durant.' This is a youngster who has not only the ability but also the personality to be a superstar. Look at what happened a year ago. He played for a dreadful team but still won the NBA Rookie of the Year. He landed on the West Coast but still emerged a marketing darling."
- Philip Zaroo for MLive.com: "Rasheed Wallace finally admitted that Flip Saunders approach didn't keep the players disciplined enough to garner their respect. 'No, he wasn't (tough enough). In my opinion, he wasn't. He let too many things slide. And that goes as far as myself, and what some of my teammates have done. With L.B. (Larry Brown), I think really, honestly, it was a respect level. Everyone respected Larry. Even though then, we had more of a veteran team, but everyone respected Larry, and everyone respects Mike (Michael Curry) now.'"
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "The most encouraging development for the Knicks today may have been the presence of William Wesley, a mover and shaker around the NBA who has friends in high places including Michael Jordan and Larry Brown. ... In recent days, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert called it an 'insult' to speculate that LeBron James may leave. On Monday, LeBron reiterated that he's never said he doesn't enjoy playing for the Cavs. But when you see Wesley talking to Donnie Walsh you've got to the believe that the Knicks could be players in the LeBron sweepstakes, especially now that the Nets plan to move to Brooklyn is on hold because of financial reasons."
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinal: "Maybe it's the new muscles. Or the new mentality. But J.J. Redick is about as strong --- from toe to head, especially his head --- that I've seen him in a long, long while. Good for him. Riding the bench in Orlando not only frustrated him to the point he asked the Magic to trade him last season, but it just about broke him. 'I'm in the best place I've ever been in my life,' Redick said. 'I know that sounds weird saying that at 24, but I'm mentally prepared for whatever happens.'"
- Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "While appearances by his more high profile teammates made a bigger splash during summer workouts, it was Randolph Morris that made it the weight room and gym every day during the offseason. 'I didn't have nothing else to do,' Morris said and then laughed. 'Seriously, though, I'm trying to make my mark. I had to be in here every day. I had to go to work. I had to be back in this gym to get my game right.' No one was happier than Morris to get on the floor for the start of the contact work of training camp (the first official practices started 10 minutes ago). When he targeted the Hawks during the early stages of free agency, he pointed to this morning as his first real chance to make an impression."
- Dave D'Alessandro of The Star-Ledger: "Rod Thorn made his first extended appearance at camp today, partly because he knew he'd get a few phone calls from the media about his health in the aftermath of the Post report that he had a heart scare during knee replacement surgery six weeks ago. Long story short: He's fine, medication has handled the arrhythmia issue, and at 67 -- in case you have formulated any strange ideas -- he's not planning on scaling back on his work one centimeter."
- Marc Berman of the New York Post: "The upset of the first day of training camp at Skidmore College is Jerome James made it through the first session and Eddy Curry was nowhere to be found. Curry was back at the hotel room battling an infection and could be out a few days. Maybe he caught something from Stephon. This is costly days for Curry since he came into camp out of shape and has to change his entire game to fit Mike D'Antoni's system. We are waiting word on a diagnosis."
- Sean Meagher of OregonLive.com: "When describing just how Greg Oden looks to people who ask, I always tell them: Greg Oden in 2008 looks like he could be Greg Oden in 2007's dad."
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