Paul George said Kyrie’s iconic 2012 slice through Team USA happened because they couldn’t even get the ball past half court. The pressure was so insane with Westbrook, LeBron, Kobe picking up full court. So Kyrie just took it and did his magic.

“You can ask anybody that was in our draft class. Harry was the only player I would've said in high school, ‘Yeah, he might be better than me.’ I used to call him Chris Webber. That's who I thought he used to play like.” —Jayson Tatum

Maybe it’s irrational confidence. Maybe it’s the Knueppel track record. Either way, if Kager puts on a Duke jersey, my expectations are going through the roof.

Kon Knueppel thought a Division 3 offer was probably his ceiling entering high school. Four years later he went to Duke, went #4 overall in the NBA Draft, runner-up ROTY, and now a rising NBA star. He had no idea how good he was about to become.

I don’t think the goal is for Kager to become Kon 2.0. The fascinating part is figuring out what a bigger player with those same bball instincts can become. 👀

One of my favorite Kyrie stories: a last-minute opening gets him into a Deron Williams camp as an unranked local kid. He shows up, gets provided on-the-spot shoes and socks and leaves as the player EVERYONE is talking about. The rest is history.

For Cam Boozer, the right situation matters more than the draft slot. “For me it doesn’t matter. One, two, or five. You know in 10 years, no one’s going to care about what number you’re drafted. I’m really more focused on the fit, being in a system that is great for me, a team that really believes in me. Because at the end of the day, that matters way more than where you go.” (via @SInow)

The thing that keeps jumping out to me with Maxime Meyer: he didn’t even start taking bball seriously until high school. That’s WILD! 👀

The NBA sent out its first batch of 2026 draft green room invites. As expected, Cameron Boozer was among them. He’ll become Duke’s 34th lottery pick, the most by any college bball program. (via @JeremyWoo)

When asked who he’s most excited to match up with in the NBA, Yaxel Lendeborg immediately brought up Cooper Flagg: “I’m going to be super excited to play against Cooper Flagg…. Definitely want to see how I translate and how I’ll be able to guard somebody like my height that can do so much so well. Super excited about that matchup.” (via @ESPNNBA)

Duke incoming freshman Cameron Williams says he gets compared to Kevin Durant, but he doesn’t believe that’s the best comparison for his game. Cam sees more of Kevin Garnett in himself, as did his high school coach. At first, the comparison caught him off guard, but after going back and watching KG’s high school film, he understood it. I think the more he watched, the more he saw shades of Garnett’s positionless versatility, body frame, defensive presence, and all-around impact rather than Durant’s style of play. (via @BabcockHoops)

Everybody wants a Duke offer. Only 2 players in 2027 have one. Beckham Black is one of them.

You think he’s explosive now? Wait until Duke’s Director of Sports Performance Preston Greene gets involved with him the next couple of months. That’s when it gets ridiculous. 💪