NEW ORLEANS — Whatever intrigue the All-Star weekend media session offered Friday afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton in the Crescent City was squelched by two notable no-shows and a bizarre display from Russell Westbrook.
A day before he is supposed to hit the practice court with his one-time friend and now fierce rival Kevin Durant for the Western Conference All-Star team, Westbrook entered his session with an agenda: devising the most creative and flattering ways to dodge Durant questions.
The two have been at odds since Durant bolted from the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer and signed with the Golden State Warriors, not even leaving Westbrook a text message about his intentions. Westbrook has taken the departure personally and it may have irrevocably damaged their relationship.
Has it? Westbrook refused to even broach the topic, bringing Saints super fan Jarrius Robertson up on the podium to ask him questions. It is apparent that Westbrook is tired of the Durant topic and it’s unknown if he’ll play nice during Sunday’s All-Star Game and actually acknowledge him.
When asked if he had moved on from the Durant issue, Westbrook said: “What it look like? I don’t know what y’all need to end this but I’m in a great place. I’m happy. I’m having fun. I’m having a great time. I’m happy with the team I have now and looking forward to move forward.’’
And then he was asked what it would be like to play with four Golden State Warriors, and then it got strange: “What’s your favorite fashion brand? What you like?’’ he asked a reporter.
And then he was asked about the rumors of him and Anthony Davis possibly teaming up and playing with the Los Angeles Lakers when their contracts expire: “You like fashion? What you wearing? Hugo Boss? I like Hugo Boss. You should try Armani, they got good suits. Hugo Boss got a great suit, you got a good thing going on.’’
And when the session ended, Westbrook told reporters: “It was good seeing y’all, I’ll see y’all at Fashion Week.’’
So Westbrook extinguished any controversy, or at least postponed it until Sunday. Meanwhile, LeBron James did not participate in the media session because of a family commitment while Carmelo Anthony, who has been on the trade block for two months, did not appear because he was not required since he was added to the team Thursday as an injury replacement.
None of this meant there were no hot topics. One was the controversial call that cost the Celtics a chance to beat the Chicago Bulls when Marcus Smart was called for a foul with 0.9 seconds left on a Jimmy Butler jumper, allowing Butler to sink the winning free throws in a 104-103 win.
The NBA ruled late Friday afternoon that Butler was indeed fouled by Smart, but whether that call should have been made was still an issue for discussion.
When asked whether he needed to ice his right elbow after the Smart foul, Butler said: “All, y’all got jokes, huh?’’
When further pressed about the issue, Butler reiterated that Smart did make contact: “A foul’s a foul. Everybody keep asking me about if he fouled me or not or the call. If I hit you on your elbow whenever you’re shooting a shot and you miss it, you’re going to be hot. It’s a foul. You can’t knock that it was a foul. Was it a ticky-tac foul? Yes.
“But I would have made it if he hadn’t hit my elbow. I believe it, at least.’’
All-Star Isaiah Thomas and Celtics coach Brad Stevens seemingly had moved on from the difficult defeat. Stevens, the Eastern Conference coach, spoke with reporters for 40 minutes, answering a myriad of questions, including what motivated him to take the Celtics’ job after such a successful run at Butler.
“I’d done enough research on not only the NBA, but the kind of place that I would go if I were to leave Butler, which was going to be a really hard choice. I decided I wasn’t going to go to another college job,’’ he said. “So it had to be a pretty special opportunity, and the Boston Celtics are as good as it gets.’’
Stevens, as has been his history, refused to give himself any credit for the Celtics’ success or the fact that he’s coaching in the All-Star Game in just his fourth season as an NBA coach. Instead, he credited his support system and the faith he’s received from upper management and ownership.
“I’ve gotten nothing but 110 percent support the whole way,’’ he said. “Our ownership gets it. Our front office gets it. When you feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to do your job. I’m lucky to work where I do.’’
In the end, the controversies took a back seat to genuine glee from the All-Stars about being here, even Westbrook. Thomas appeared humbled and even motivated by his second opportunity to be here while Stevens, in his customary fashion, took everything in stride.
So there may be fireworks Saturday or Sunday, but Friday was rather mellow, and perhaps the NBA needed a break after a string of uncomfortable happenings.
Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.
