DURHAM, N.C. – When Brook Lopez re-signed with the Nets, general manager Billy King had a message for him.
It wasn’t to continue being one of the best scoring centers in the league. It wasn’t to improve his defense. It wasn’t even to put his injuries behind him and embrace the prime years of his career.
It was this: It’s time for you to be a leader.
“At the end of the season when I met with Brook, I said, ‘We definitely want you back, but part of that is we want you to be more of a leader,’” King said.