NBA quotes: Lakers’ Mike D’Antoni wants young players to play hard

A foreign legion?

Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni, on the need for his team’s young players to prove themselves in the final stages of a lost season: “This is their future. This is not just, ‘Oh, we’re having a bad year.’ No, your next stop is Europe, so it’s like you know what, let’s buckle up. They shouldn’t have a minute where you don’t play hard. They have to understand the importance of this time.”

Fashion cop

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Jarrett Jack, on wearing the NBA’s sleeved uniforms: “We’re like the beach police. You know those police who are on the beach with those bikes? They’ve got those little shirts with the shorts? That’s what we look like. Like we’re about to give somebody a citation.”

Snooze alert

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, on the late-season malaise of star Dirk Nowitzki: “I think sometimes he loses concentration, and I think we’ve got to get past that. I mentioned it to him today. I asked him how his nap was during the game [Sunday against Oklahoma City]. He laughed. At least that’s while I was facing him. When I turned my back and walked away, I don’t know.”

Money for nothing

Miami Heat forward LeBron James, on whether he had entered friend Warren Buffett’s $1-billion NCAA tournament bracket challenge: “Nah. I’m just gonna ask him for it.”

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