NBA quotes of the week

Character counts

Dallas guard O.J. Mayo, on Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins’ punching him in the groin during the Kings’ loss to the Mavericks: “I told him, ‘Man, play basketball. You’ve got a chance to be a good player, but when you do stuff like that, you’re like a garbage player. It’s not a sign of being great.’”

Costly speech

Stephen Jackson’s rogue tweet, which earned the San Antonio guard a $25,000 fine for threatening Serge Ibaka after watching the Oklahoma City forward get tangled up with the Lakers’ Metta World Peace: “Somebody tell serg Abaka [sic]. He ain’t bout dis life. Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That’s a promise. He doin 2 much.”

Playground follies

Toronto’s Amir Johnson, after throwing his mouthpiece and hitting referee David Jones on his way off the court following the forward’s ejection from a game against Portland for fighting Jones for control of the basketball: “We were both wrestling with the ball. That was kind of childish. We both either could’ve let it go or anything. That part was childish. Plus, on my part for reacting that way.”

Now he can relax

San Antonio guard Tony Parker, on his triple-double in an overtime victory over Houston: “I was like, man, if we lose, nobody is going to care.”

Idea for the birds

TNT analyst Chris Webber, on plans to change the New Orleans franchise’s name from the Hornets to the Pelicans: “Come on, everybody in the world knows that’s the worst name ever thought of and they’re going to be a joke. I would hate to be from New Orleans and go somewhere and people tease me about being a Pelican fan.”

—Ben Bolch