“That was more of a technicality,” Mason said of his official status the final two weeks of the regular season. Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld “told me, ‘This is your team. You’re still a part of it.’ They just needed a spot. I took him for his word that he wanted me here.”

Mason would like to have his time extended with his hometown team for a while longer after finishing on a high note – despite the injury. Rarely used by Flip Saunders and early under Randy Wittman, Mason finally got a chance to contribute just before the all-star break and really found his groove after Nick Young was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. He essentially had two seasons – one forgettable and one that proved that he deserved to earn more checks in the NBA.

The cap was a reference to a classic opening lyric by the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., but Seraphin probably should’ve added a line to reference his final 25 games of the regular season that read, “come true.”

A source with knowledge of the Wizards’ thinking recently described the situation as “an ongoing process,” adding that the team has no timetable to make a decision. Wittman and his assistants are still under contract for next season, lessening the urgency. But the silence – and lack of aggressiveness in pursuing other potential candidates – has raised speculation amongst agents and rival league executives that they all will be brought back.

You had to know Kobe Bryant wasn’t looking to pass the torch to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a night when he wasn’t even looking to pass the ball. Bryant offered an offensive clinic in his final game of the season on Monday, serving up a plate of assorted pump fakes, fadeaways, footwork and flash.

Rookie of the year Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers will also headline a team that includes Orlando Magic forward Ryan Anderson, San Antonio forward DeJuan Blair, Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors, Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George, Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin and Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.

Young scored just three points off the bench in 10 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs swept the Clippers out of the playoffs with a 102-99 win. He also walked out of the locker room wearing a rather conservative denim shirt, instead of one of those colorful and flashy, Aztec-inspired print shirts that had attracted so much attention during the Clippers’ playoff run.