Or something like that.
Word from the Hawks is that the point guard didn't mouth off simply for the sake of being an annoyance. He did it because he's a good teammate!
As reported by the Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett:
According to a Hawks source, the veteran point guard purposely made the incendiary comments to take the pressure off his very young teammates. Asked during a private moment before the game if such was the case, Bibby smiled and winked.
Asked if his blast might take pressure of the Atlanta kids, Bibby said, "I think it might have. That’s a good thing. I’d rather put the pressure on me and let them just go out there and play relaxed."
As Jeff noted in his three-pointers segment on Friday, there's no need to beat a dead horse -- or at least no need to beat it too much further into the ground.
But let's quickly give the Hawks' public relations unit some credit on this one. Whether or not this was actually Bibby's intent, it seems like the team sources have given him a decent out on this one. I guess.
But let's also quickly make note of one other point: When on'es team loses by 23 -- and you are a big part of the cause -- it probably isn't the time for -- how to put this...ah, yes -- incendiary comments about much of anything.
Glad to see the Garden faithful come back with a strong response on Wednesday. Also glad to see Rondo and Cassell locking down matters at the point in this series thus far. Here's hoping it continues and the Bibby story dies in short order. I've said my piece on it now, and barring any further developments, I'm done.