Game 1 done.
Thank you to the r/NBA mods for letting us set up this AMA for y'all. We'll have DMN reporters Mike Curtis and Kevin Sherrington, and Globe reporters Adam Himmelsbach and Khari Thompson online at 11 a.m. CT (12 p.m. EST) to answer your NBA Finals/Dallas Mavericks/Boston Celtics questions. They've set aside two hours of their day to get to as many of you as possible, however this is a huge subreddit and they may not get to everyone. Drop your questions below!
This is also our first time using Reddit's new AMA feature so fingers crossed.
11 a.m.: Let's get started! Co-hosts are noted. Kevin's account is very new and can't be designated as a co-host, but it is him.
u/MikeCurtis2: Hey, everyone! I’m Mike Curtis and I cover the Mavs for The Dallas Morning News. I’ve been on the beat for a couple of months after spending the last two seasons covering the Detroit Pistons for the The Detroit News.
u/KevinSherrington: Hey, Redditors, this is Kevin Sherrington, sports columnist at the Dallas Morning News. Been at this for a long time, covered lots of stuff. Once interviewed Dennis Rodman in a gay bar. So, yeah, ask me anything.
Adam (u/bostonglobe): Adam Himmelsbach joined the Globe in 2015 and covers the Celtics. A graduate of Syracuse University, Himmelsbach previously spent two years as a columnist at the Louisville Courier-Journal, and six years as a Washington-based contributor for The New York Times.
Khari (u/bostonglobe): Khari Thompson is a sportswriter covering the Celtics and Patriots for Boston.com since 2022. His work is often featured in The Boston Globe and on bostonglobe.com.
by dallasmorningnews
36 Comments
For Mike and Kevin, what has been the greatest pleasure of covering Dwight Powell’s career on the Mavericks so far? What’s it like working with and interacting with Dwight behind the scenes?
Hey Mike and Kevin! Thanks for doing this. Just out of curiosity, how has Mark Cuban’s role within the organization changed since the ownership change? His presence is still felt court side during games but I’m curious how his day to day has changed if at all. I
For the globe guys: there’s been a lot of rumors over the years about the jays not liking each other, people calling to break up the duo, etc. Celtics fans dont believe it though. what have you seen to disprove this?
How can the Mav’s adjust so that the Celtics stop hunting Luka on defense? Do you think, since he clearly believes in symbology and metaphor, that Kyrie recognizes him stomping on Lucky didn’t mark an end to his Celtics’ tragedies but the actual beginning of them?
What goes through your mind as you’re preparing for a series like this? How do you prepare yourself mentally?
What’s something that gets easier when covering the finals, and what’s something that gets harder?
Was Gerry Adams in the IRA?
For both sets of reporters:
Whether it was a trick shot, funny interaction, etc., what’s been your favorite pregame moment you’ve witnessed prior to a Mavs or Celtics game this playoffs?
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know or guess that is great/terrible about covering the nba finals.
This is a question for anyone. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or heard (without using names obviously) that you couldn’t or didn’t report at the time
To both parties, what were your expectations for Kyrie and Tingus Pingus playing against their former team? Is reporting on a former player of your home team playing against you in the finals weird, or is it just business as usual?
What’s one story during the season that you felt surprisingly didn’t get enough coverage?
How was the atmosphere in both of the locker rooms after yesterday’s game?
What changes do you see Dallas making regarding their defense?
It seemed like they were trying to stop Tatum and let other people beat them, but the Celtics have 2 other star players and 3 other guys who can any given night.
Seems like a matchup nightmare with no good option besides having multiple good wing defenders along with no switches to attack. Boston can attack Kyrie and Luka all game long and KP can shoot over anyone. Whenever Tatum or JB drive to the rim there’s going to be a wide-open corner 3 or an ‘easy” layup or free throws.
Dallas reporters, why in the post game press conference do you have to compliment Kyrie Irving before asking him a question.
Did Jason Kidd do anything to prepare for game 1? The Mavericks were a disaster on both ends.
which player you interviewed smelled the worst?
@Mike Curtis and Kevin Sherrington, fav Eastern Conference cities to visit?
@Adam Himmelsbach and Khari Thompson, fav Western Conference cities to visit?
For all reporters, what do you think is each team’s biggest strength and biggest weakness, and do you see that being worked on during games and in the locker room?
What does Tatum need to do to get going offensively? Was his poor shooting performance due to nerves, or was because of Dallas’ effort? If Dallas changes its defensive strategy to better protect the three point line, will that open up more opportunities for Tatum?
How much of a star is Derrick White in Boston?
Will any of you guys ever press the NBA or investigate them for their questionable officiating ?
There was no terrible call in game 1 but in general the reffing is really inconsistent and at times really suspicious, and it feels like the media totally gives the NBA a pass on it
Was last night more about the Celtics playing well or the Mavericks playing badly?
How do you grade Tatum’s performance? He was very good defensively, but offensively left more to be desired. He was good at handling the ball when he was double teamed but he still had some bone headed turnovers. His stats weren’t good but he was more impactful looking at the film.
Who has the weirdest aura?
Is Luka an alcoholic? Why does his face gain 10 pounds every season?
Which player could eat a peanut butter sandwich without taking a sip of water?
Luka emphasized defending the 3pt line better in his press conference, but how surprising was Dallas only taking 27 threes? Clearly they were having a bad shooting game, but there were several moments where it looked like they passed up open threes and I don’t know how you beat this Boston defense without keeping them honest
For DMN/Globe, what is the most underappreciated aspect of the opposing team by fans/the media?
How will Kristaps Porzingis’ tumultuous history with injuries affect his playing time?
It seems as if he’s back to 100%, playing at his peak in these finals, dropping 20 points and 3 blocks in his first game back; But, with reports just an hour before the game stating that KP is “unsure about his playing ability” in this finals series, do you think he needs to be put on a minutes restriction this series before an injury remerges?
Who’s your favorite interview from both teams?
As a sportswriter, I’ve had my share of coverages. How do reporters navigate through extra effort in covering the NBA Finals? Any tips for people like me?
Would you rather have Jrue than Lillard if all else was equal??
For Kevin: How was the setting determined for the Dennis Rodman interview? What was it like covering his tumultuous time in Dallas?
Hey guys, Adam Himmelsbach here. Will be joined on the Globe account by Khari Thompson, so we’ll toss our initials after our posts so you know who is talking. Thanks for stopping by.
Do you still “root” for particular players? Or do you try to push that to the side to remain neutral while covering the game?
For both sets of reporters:
At what moment during this playoffs did you realize the team you are covering actually has a good chance to make it to the NBA Finals?
To what do you attribute Kyrie Irving’s historically poor record against the Celtics? Coincidence, the Lucky superstition, his mindset vs them, the Celtics org has figured him out, or something else?
Any unique insights about the coaches? Both seemed to do a good job of coaching last night but were you able to interact with them before or after the game?