Avery says: Distraction? What distraction?

With all of the talk about Kobe Bryant being interested in playing for the Mavericks, Avery Johnson was asked if it lingered, would it be a distractin? Avery had much to say on the subject.

"One of the things I talked to our guys about, it's kind of like one of those unwritten things in our contracts that you sign up for. When I signed on here, there are certain specific things I signed up for. You get paid a certain amount, there's a certain way you have to handle yourself. Obviously there are some unwritten things in the contract that Mark [Cuban] expects of me. But part of the thing when you sign these contracts, you sign up for scrutiny, you sign up for criticism. you sign up for some praise that sometimes you don't even deserve, hype, you sign up for trade talks, the coach called a bad play, he called a good play."

Translation: Trade rumors are part of the job. Don't worry about them. Just play hard.

-- Jan Hubbard