We’re already into September, and that can only mean one thing: we’re back in business.
Starting today, your freshest and first Bulletin of the 2027-28 NBA season.
(Here’s a small bunch of quotes, because the calendar page might have flipped but it’s not that we’re already close to anything of importance.)
Jalen Brunson
On putting last season’s championship behind entering their title defense:
“We don’t want to speak of the trophy, we don’t talk about the trophy, we don’t want to see the trophy. We want to come in with the same mindset, if not, even a tougher mindset than we had last year… It’s important for us to come into this season to be like, ‘That’s over with.’”
On modeling his early career stint in Dallas after JJ Barea:
“My mindset was, I’m filling JJ Barea’s role. He came off the bench for Dallas. He did all these great things for Dallas. That’s where I see myself. I’m gonna work to be better, but that’s where I see myself. That’s where I feel like I can help this team.
“The more you show in your role, the longer your leash gets, the more you’re able to do. People just want to say, ‘Hey, I can do this, I can do that.’ Well, do what’s asked of you first. Perfect it. Master it.”
On refusing to call himself the “King of New York”:
“I’ve never called myself the king of New York. I will never call myself the king of New York.
“Imagine I get on this call with you, right? I’m like, ‘Yo, no king of New York’s here,’ whatever, whatever. You guys are going to look like, ‘What the f**k, this dude is so self-centered.’”
On staying grounded as his profile has grown:
“I just find a way to kind of be the same because of the people around me. I have the same people I had around since high school.”
Jose Alvarado
On the belief that powered the Knicks’ championship run:
“Believe. That’s one thing you got to do is believe. The way we did it, 53 years, a lot of people say we were supposed to be there but still doubted us. A lot of people thought the first round was a way out because how we started. So I guess faith, believe. We just believed in each other, we believed in what we could do and that’s what made us champions.”
On his goal of becoming a Sixth Man of the Year candidate:
“I still haven’t done what I wanted to do with my career. I got a lot of goals that I want to push for and this is probably going to be the most hard-working summer I probably put in. I want to be in the conversation of Sixth Man of the Year one day. Obviously I got to work, obviously situations where the minutes, consistency and stuff like that is always going to be a problem because I know I’m never going to pass the eye test. If you look at me, I’m not the most tallest, most athletic to the NBA world. So I just know going into a room, I got to be the most out-working person, hardest-working person and the rest will take care of itself.”
Jordan Clarkson
On representing the Philippines:
“When you got Filipino blood, [you] take the whole country with you, the whole pride.
“We’re doing a lot for the country and the culture.”
Zohran Mamdani
On Jalen Brunson being New York’s king:
“I’m happy as the mayor. Jalen Brunson is the king.”
Kevin Durant
On wanting to become Team USA’s general manager:
“One of my main goals is to be the GM of Team USA. In one of these Olympics, one of these years, I want to do that job one time.”
On the globalization of basketball and international players becoming the NBA’s best:
“Our game is global. We play basketball all around the world (…) And it’s about time. They’ve been coming into the league since the 80s. It’s just natural evolution that guys from around the world are going to assume those positions as the best players in the league.”
