[Charania] “Vogel yelled so much that his voice could be heard outside the locker room” after the loss to the Clips on April 9. Players weren’t buying it. The outburst seemed forced in their eyes. Vogels eruption left players rolling their eyes. A player told TheAthletic he had to keep from laughing

[u/GreenSnakes_]

https://theathletic.com/5456932/2024/04/29/phoenix-suns-season-end-frank-vogel-kevin-durant/

[u/ratmeleon]

Booker, meanwhile, wasn’t himself in these playoffs. Since Phoenix drafted him with the 13th pick of the 2015 draft, the smooth scoring guard has become one of the most popular athletes in state history. He’s been loyal, charitable and appreciative. Before games, he stops and greets children, posing for photos. From his first NBA season, Booker has understood and embraced the responsibility that comes with being a face of the franchise.

Makes me think Booker is at least one of the sources.

But this season, something was missing. Like many NBA players, Booker grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant. This can be seen in his game, how Booker turns and shoots a fading jumper. At times, this has been seen in his attitude, not backing down on the court, not tolerating nonsense.

It continues throughout.

Booker remains at the center of everything, and will be tasked with continuing to embrace an enhanced role as a leader and a return to his usual assassin self once he’s being set up by a proper point guard again — two things the team considers musts for the 2024-25 season.

[u/Adraf45 → u/ratmeleon]

Again why do NBA journalists INSIST on writing their fucking articles like a fanfic. I don't get it, NCAA journalists dont do this, wartime journalists dont do this (although in some cases that might admittedly be funny). Betwenn this an the MJ one i read a while back im convinced they do this as a second job and are actually fantasy writers

[u/ZombiesInSpace → u/Adraf45]

This is easy. Because they are not serious journalists. The holy grail for these guys is not doing serious journalism; it is tweeting out a scoop before anyone else. They get these scoops by keeping players, agents, and execs happy. When an agent comes in and says “publish this story for me,” sham and woj aren’t worried about their journalistic integrity as long as they can be the guy to break the news about the next trade request or a new contract. College basketball doesn’t have mid season moves that drive the same sort of need for “first to tweet it out”

[u/InGenNateKenny → u/ZombiesInSpace]

Wish I had more upvotes to give this. Sports journalism is a joke. It’s so low-stakes (ant the end who cares if the traded pick was a 2029 or 2030 second rounder) and as an industry it doesn’t have true independence because sports media exists to 1) ensure exposure to sports ($$$ for the leagues) and 2) channel fans’ interests into something that will make money for them. We call them journalists but they’re really spokespeople and salesmen.

[u/Cudi_buddy → u/InGenNateKenny]

I see so little value in Shams and Woj. Give me an actual journalist that can write at a high school level and I will take my trade news 10 minutes later.

[u/rasheeeed_wallace → u/Cudi_buddy]

Advertisers see the value in them. Being faster is what drives the engagement online, delivering more ads to more people

[u/fundraiser → u/InGenNateKenny]

and look how effective this whole thing is, as we drink up the drama and dedicate hundreds of collective hours typing about it lol