Clearing some stuff up

[exculpatory]

You the man, Smitty.

I appreciate your inputs.

[cloverleaf]

I've seen a lot about how rumors are made up and fairy tales. And how no one has sources. I want to clear some stuff up pertaining to my specific role in the whole Griffin saga and how it went down.

1. Ran in to a contact at our hotel in Las Vegas. He fills me in that Boston has called on Griffin.

2. I check with another sources that is connected to both Boston and LAC and he confirms the same.

3. I check with a Clippers source who confirms that Boston initiated talks.

4. Go back to the first guy and he adds that Doc likes Rudy Gay and Boston and LAC are interested in a three team deal with the prime pieces being Griffin/Pierce to BOS, Crowder to SAC, Gay to LAC, but lots of work to be done on the additional pieces to LAC.

5. Run that by source #2 who has the same thing, but says to be cautious because a star trade is hard to pull off, a three team trade is hard to pull off, and that a three team trade featuring a star is VERY hard to pull off.

6. Re-confirm one last time with the LAC source who says everything I have is on the money, but the pieces are the hold up and LAC wants to talk BRK picks, which Ainge would rather not talk. But that isn't a deal killer.

Double check with each that they are all on the same page, all the while not sharing who the others are or what they've told me and letting them fill in the pieces. Then and only then did I put out my tweets. And that was risky enough as it was.

So to sum it up, the rumor pieces aren't like that at all. It might be as it goes through the media. But that is on us as readers/listeners as much as them for not tracing back to who originally put the story out there.

I also want to clear one other thing up: I'm not entirely sure I was first to share the Griffin talks, but I know I was up there. Boston, LA and Sacramento media picked it up very quickly and then things went from there. It was only a full day later that Sean Deveney reported it and then people took it as really legitimate.

I'm not bitter at all though. I have no real intention of ever being a newsbreaker. It isn't something I care to do and it was really, really stressful. I was genuinely shocked at how quick things snowballed. I've been on the radio several times/places before this, but things got much crazier after I put the Griffin stuff out there. And one thing I am 100% consistent on is that I own it. Since I put it out there, I've heard from several others who have different sources and have the same information. So, I know for certain there have been talks. That doesn't mean a trade is coming for sure, but talks are the first step.

I figured this might help clear things up and give a bit of insight in to the process. After hearing from a lot of veteran media guys, the process plays out basically the same way. Sometimes you chase it down, sometimes it comes to you, but the rest is the same.

For those of you who have been supportive and had my back and continue to, you have no idea how much that means to me. Everything this past year has been kind of crazy and I didn't really expect it. But I've enjoyed all of it. Well almost all of it. Threats against me and my family are a little tough to take. But in reality, it comes with the territory. Mostly I want to say thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement!

Just as I'd suspected: Doc is a notorious leaker. Makes sense that his organization would put spin out when they are trying to get something done that is not happening.