NBA quotes of the week

That will be $300 an hour

Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni, on his team’s difficulties in the first half of the season: “If we can erase memories, I’ll have to go to somebody’s couch and try to erase my memory bank.”

Oh, now they’re BFF?

Boston center Kevin Garnett, on being All-Star teammates with Carmelo Anthony after they nearly came to blows during and after a recent game over salacious comments Garnett made to Anthony: “From my understanding, me and Melo are fine. I don’t anticipate any friction. You know, I’m a man, he’s a man. I don’t think that situation will boil over into this and spoil the All-Star weekend. I think we’re much more professional than that.”

JaVale being JaVale

Denver Coach George Karl, on center JaVale McGee’s tendency to try to impress: “I think JaVale tries to find the spectacular and forces the spectacular when if you just let Andre Miller and Ty [Lawson] let us orchestrate the game, something big time will happen. But I want him to be more Tim Duncan-like. I tell him I like Tim Duncan. I want Tim Duncan.”

He meant it as a compliment

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, on Miami’s defense getting its tenacity from Heat President Pat Riley: “You guys know Riley. You know what a psychopath he is with numbers and statistics. He plays percentages really well. He knows the high percentage of Steve [Nash] coming off of pick-and-roll and picking teams apart. He knows the high percentage of leaving me on the backside. So, he says, ‘We’re going to stay home and take our chances with everybody else.’”