Roberson, Huestis drop in at high school
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson, his sister, and Thunder teammate Josh Huestis and his wife, Haley, surprised the Mount St. Mary volleyball team at the Rockets’ practice on Wednesday.
The summer hasn’t stopped for Andre Roberson, and it certainly didn’t on Wednesday at Mount St. Mary High School.
The 6-foot-7 Roberson elevated over the volleyball net and slammed a spike with nonchalance. He tipped balls over the net to the Mount St. Mary volleyball team without jumping. He recalled the days of playing volleyball in his backyard in San Antonio with his sister, Amber, who played collegiately at Texas and professionally in Dubai earlier this year.
Roberson, his sister, and Thunder teammate Josh Huestis and his wife, Haley, surprised the MSM volleyball team’s practice Wednesday, one of several stops for Roberson in a busy summer.
“I had some good moments out there,” Roberson said of the volleyball experience.
Roberson’s had some good moments this summer. The 25-year-old signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Thunder. He was named to his first NBA All-Defensive Team. He went to Mexico to celebrate his mom’s 50th birthday. He piled up a travel list sure to result in plenty of frequent flyer miles: New Zealand, Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Boulder (Colorado).
Roberson worked out on New Zealand beaches with Steven Adams, running sprints in the sand and flipping a tire he said Adams had stashed in an alley.
“He rolled it across the street and we just started flipping that thing,” Roberson said.
More than any topic, however, Roberson was asked about working out with Paul George. Many project Roberson, the NBA All-Defensive second-team selection, and George, a four-time All-Defensive Team player, to become one of the most feared perimeter defensive duos in the game.
Roberson spent most of his summer training in Los Angeles. While there, he linked up with George and his Thunder teammates for involuntary workouts in which he witnessed George’s length and defensive capabilities. Those workouts will pick up again Thursday in Oklahoma City as players continue trickling in.
Roberson and George worked out in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Training camp starts on Sept. 26.
“You get a lot,” Roberson said about the involuntary workouts with George. “You get a feel for him on the court, what he likes to do, what he’s good at. And you just kinda bond. Basketball is all about chemistry, knowing how each other plays.
“I think we have a lot of potential on the defensive end, for sure. We’ve just gotta make it come to fruition.”
Hennigan returning to OKC
The Thunder is bringing back former assistant general manager Rob Hennigan, The Oklahoman confirmed Wednesday.
Hennigan worked for four seasons in the Thunder front office, ascending to assistant general manager before being hired by the Orlando Magic as general manager in 2012. Hennigan was fired in April after the Magic went 132-278 (.322) in five seasons.
Hennigan could be in line to fill some of the duties of former Thunder assistant general manager Michael Winger, who was hired by the Los Angeles Clippers as general manager in August.
In his final two seasons with the Thunder, Hennigan was an assistant general manager. Before that, he spent two seasons as the team’s director of college/international scouting and player personnel. Some of Hennigan’s duties included overseeing the Thunder’s professional, college and international scouting departments, as well as assisting with all player personnel matters and day-to-day management of basketball operations.
Hennigan is the second Thunder staffer to return to the team after a spell elsewhere. Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks spent a season in Detroit in 2013-14 before returning the following season for his second stint in Oklahoma City.
Hennigan’s hire was first reported by Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
Tip-ins
In SI.com’s Top 100 NBA player countdown, George ranked No. 12. SI.com broke down Nos. 30-11 on Wednesday. Russell Westbrook will land in the Top 10, which will be released Thursday . ... Adams was ranked No. 46 on the portion of ESPN.com’s NBArank. Adams dropped 10 spots from 36th in last season’s ranking . ... Roberson on if he was the mystery teammate who jokingly told Enes Kanter “if I see a picture of you and (Kevin Durant), don’t come back to OKC.”: “You’re gonna have to ask somebody else that. I don’t know where that came from. It wasn’t me. I ain’t gonna go searching for the answer.” Kanter played pickup ball with Durant this summer in New York City.