Chris Paul has been sent to the LA Clippers, while the New Orleans Hornets will receive Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Minnesota’s 2012 unprotected first-round draft pick, and two 2015 second-round picks from the Clips.

So now what?

Image source: FBasketballBlog.com

The New New Orleans Hornets

After numerous rejections by the league, which included a trade between Houston, the LA Lakers, and New Orleans, and a previous deal between the Clippers and Hornets, the third try was a success. Some might not like the fact that David Stern has been playing GM for the Hornets, but at the end of the day he has every right; the NBA owns the team.

And I have to admit that Stern gets an A for the deal.

The Hornets get a veteran big man in Chris Kaman who should be a strong leader in a locker room that will be very fresh and new. They also get a future All Star, at least I believe so, in Eric Gordon. The 2-guard has one of the better 3-point shots in the league, is a solid defender, and can only get better. Then they also get a solid piece for the future in Aminu. Being the 8th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Aminu still has a lot of upside in his 6-9 frame and should have a lot of room to grow in a young Hornets roster. Then the unprotected 2012 first-round pick from Minny should speak for itself.

The Paul-Griffin Clippers

And then there are the LA Clippers, whom I believe also have struck gold in this deal. But who doesn’t?

While I do believe they downgraded their bench and their size, they secured a very important piece in building a championship contender: one of, if not the best PG in the league, a guy with unmatched court-vision, a great ability to create his own shot, and a very strong defensive presence on the wing.

Can you just imagine the oops we’re going to see from Chris Paul to Blake Griffin? Even DeAndre Jordan?

Speaking of the two, check out their reaction to the CP3 deal:

As for Chris Paul, it was 425 strong games with the Hornets, but not one season was New Orleans ever in strong contention to win an NBA title. While the Clippers might not have been Paul’s first choice, he can’t be upset with what he has alongside him now; do we have a possible Malone-Stockton in Griffin-Paul??

Perhaps.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still don’t believe the Clippers have the roster to be able to take down the Lakers or Mavs out West, but I do believe they jumped up quite a bit. They essentially went from a lower lottery team to a definite playoff contender with this trade. With acquisitions this offseason like Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and now Chris Paul, the Clippers are now in a threatening position for the next two years.

Also, don’t expect this to be the last deal for the Clippers, as they are VERY deep with guards and need an extra big man or two.

As I mentioned, the Clippers are now in a threatening position and from what I see they are one more key player away from being a title contender.

Could we be witnessing a new ‘Big Three’ forming before our very eyes?

Maybe, maybe not.

What I do know is that now there is one more team to watch for out in Los Angeles.

Watch it now. If there’s any truth to this report, it could be moot by later this week.

Audio from Misery (1990).

Here is the trailer for Misery, starting Kathy Bates and James Caan. To put this in proper context.

And sure, for most of us, Bates will seem far more terrifying than Stern. But to Chris Paul? (And perhaps Dell Demps too…) I think it’s safe to say that David Stern is now his Kathy Bates.

Image credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images via National Post

We have rumors flying about just about every single team in the league, we have David Stern showing us why he is going to win the Dictator Of the Year award, and we have a lot of awkwardness inside NBA training camps (more specifically the Lakers).

You can be assured I am on top of things, and I have a few more juicy rumors and details that you guys might want to hear.

Also don’t forget to follow me on twitter for up-to-date news!

Latest Chris Paul Rumors

UPDATE (1 PM ET): Lakers, Hornets, and Rockets resubmit proposal of 3-team trade to league office.

While it’s become quite evident that Chris Paul is going to be departing from New Orleans sometime soon, it has become a mystery as to how and to where.

Since David Stern blocked the proposed three-team trade between the Lakers, Hornets, and Rockets, the NBA community began to unsettle. Was this a show of Stern’s power? Was this because the owners actually run the league? Or is it because Stern just didn’t like the trade?

Whichever you want to believe, the trade was pulled off the table by the league, much to the chagrin of Paul and others.

But hours later Hornets GM Dell Demps was given the ‘OK’ to once again begin looking at scenarios to move Paul out of New Orleans; more accurately, to Los Angeles.

The Lakers, Rockets, and Hornets have since begun trade talks and are now inching closer to a similar deal. While it is still unclear what the difference will be from the first trade, you can bet that CP3 will be a Laker by the end of the weekend.

Quote it.

Latest Dwight Howard Rumors 

UPDATE (5:45 PM ET): Orlando Sentinel has learned from Magic GM Otis Smith that Dwight Howard has requested a trade.

UPDATE (6:05 PM ET): Y! Sports has learned that Dwight Howard has asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets.

The whole Dwight Howard situation has been a bit of hassle of late.

The Rockets and Nets were both looking at tampering charges from the Orlando Magic, as rumor spread that Dwight had spoken with both teams in the recent past. Dan Feagan, agent of Dwight Howard, later told the media that no such thing had occurred. But what Feagan was able to tell us is that Dwight has been cleared by the Magic to speak with three teams. According to numerous reports, three of those teams could be out of the following: the Nets, Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, Bulls.

From what I hear, the Nets are the leaders in the chase for Howard as both parties have interest, but the Nets also have FA Nene high on their wish list as well, so anything at this point is a possibility.

Other News

• The Boston Celtics have agreed to a sign-and-trade swap, giving up Glen Davis in exchange for Magic F Brandon Bass.
• The Miami Heat have signed Shane Battier, and are looking to acquire Eddy Curry.
• The New York Knicks have agreed to terms with C Tyson Chandler, and are looking to use their amnesty on PG Chauncey Billups.
• The Detroit Pistons have waived swingman Richard Hamilton. The Chicago Bulls have expressed strong interest.
• The Boston Celtics have acquired David West from the New Orleans Hornets, in a sign-and-trade for Jermaine O’Neal. O’Neal is reportedly going to ask to be waived.
• The Dallas Mavericks and Vince Carter are reportedly close to a deal.

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At about 6:30 ET, Marc Stein announced the trade:

• LA would be getting Chris Paul.
• Houston would be getting Pau Gasol.
• New Orleans would be getting Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, AND draft picks.

Less than an hour later, the NBA stepped in…and stepped in it.

Image source: CelticsHub.com

3-Way Paul Trade Benefited All Involved

There aren’t many trades that actually benefit every team involved, but this was one of them.

Keep in mind the fact that New Orleans has absolutely no shot of keeping Chris Paul at the end of the season. He would have walked away and left them with nothing. Instead, they turned nothing into three starters, a quality backup, AND some draft picks.

LA would shed $21 million AND get the best point guard in the league to team up with Kobe Bryant while also keeping Andrew Bynum – the one piece that Orlando really wants in exchange for Dwight Howard (don’t ask me why, as I would never trade for Bynum…but that’s what the Magic want).

Houston would be starting their rebuilding project around the second most talented big man in the league (behind Dirk).

Then, the NBA got involved.

As a fan of a small-market team (Indiana Pacers), I want to be happy about this. After all, LeBron James murdered the city of Cleveland last summer, and that’s just not fair. We need to maintain “competitive balance” and fairness. We can’t let these players just dictate where they want to go and when.

I WANT to be happy about it.

But then, I have to look at the facts:

• Fact: Chris Paul is the best pure point guard in the NBA and one of the top five players in the league entirely.
• Fact: The NBA has placed incentives to keep stars in one place. If a star wants to leave, he will be purposefully leaving millions of dollars on the table.
• Fact: Chris Paul, for one reason or another, has chosen to leave all those dollars on the table if he has to and will not sign an extension with New Orleans next summer.
• Fact: Further than that, there aren’t many teams that Chris Paul will sign an extension with next summer…so trade partners for New Orleans are limited.
• Fact: This sucks for New Orleans, but this is America, and every human being (me, you, and yes, even NBA millionaires) should have the right to choose where he wants to work if he is talented enough to have that choice.
• Fact: Yesterday, New Orleans made the most out of a tough situation and executed a three-team trade that would have absolutely made their team better.
• Fact: David Stern’s ego and the bitterness of several owners got in the way.

No matter how you slice it, this is not good for anyone involved. In fact, as I look over the entire landscape, I can’t find a single “winner” in this deal being disallowed.

Chris Paul Trade Fiasco ‘Scales of Losing‘

Here is a list of yesterday’s losers, rated and ranked on a scale from 1-10 from those who lost the least to those who lost the most:

Los Angeles Lakers – 2.5 on the Losing Scale

The Lakers definitely lost A LOT in this situation.

They would have gotten one of the top five players in the league. The trade would have kept them in the running to also get Dwight Howard. Plus they were shedding lots of money from their cap.

This whole thing isn’t fair to them. Oh well.

They are still the Lakers…feeling bad for them would be like feeling bad for Donald Trump if one of his newest investments flopped.

Yeah, you lost some money. I’m sorry. You’re still Donald Trump.

Look! Donald Trump eats chocolate ice cream bars...JUST LIKE THE REST OF US! (And like the rest of us, he surely things the NBA flubbed this Paul trade decision...big time.

Image source: EgoTVOnline.com

Chris Paul – 5.0 on the Losing Scale

Somehow, I think Chris Paul will still be ok…at least in terms of how he is perceived by us.

Unlike Carmelo Anthony, he hasn’t lied to his city and pledged his false allegiance in any way. Unlike Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, he gave his team plenty of time to work through the situation and make the best out of it. Ironically, CP3 might actually come out of this as a sort of sympathetic figure.

Unfortunately, from a basketball standpoint, Chris Paul couldn’t have lost much more. It appears incredibly unlikely that he will be able to go to the Lakers this year. There really wasn’t a better situation for him to go to when you combine the market, the team, and the owner he would have been playing for.

Paul will probably be forced to play the entire 2011-2012 season with New Orleans. If he wants to stay “above the fray,” he will have to play hard and play as many games as possible; he can’t look like he’s “dogging it” or throwing away the season.

This would be all well and good if he didn’t have a history of knee problems. Now, he will have to throw away one of his (who knows how many he has) good years playing on a team that he doesn’t want to play for.

The only possible way for CP3 to come out of this on top is for him to play hard all season, make an All-NBA Team to prove he’s worth the money, not get hurt at all, have the Lakers or Knicks or somebody trade away some expensive players without gutting their team completely, and THEN sign with them for LESS money than he would have gotten if the trade went through.

I don’t feel bad, per se, for Chris Paul, considering he’s making millions playing the game he loves…but still, I don’t necessarily feel good for him right now either.

Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol – 5.5 on the Losing Scale

The Lakers have decided to change things up and move their franchise in another direction. Odom and Gasol had been important pieces in the past, and even though they are both younger than Kobe, LA decided that THEY were the expendable players on the team.
Apparently, Odom never even received a phone call from the Lakers yesterday before the deal happened. Both players were truly blind-sided.

Of course, as with any hardship, both players must have started the healing process by looking at their new situations. They wouldn’t have to play with Kobe Bryant anymore, they would be “the guy” on their new teams, and neither situation was a terrible one.

With the deal is off, what are they supposed to do now?

This would be like breaking up with your girlfriend (one of those terrible breakups that happen in a public place and end with you dumping beef barley soup all over her car…no, I’m not speaking from experience here), then running into her less than a day later and being forced to start dating again.

This WILL end poorly.

The only reason Odom isn’t further down on the list is because this entire incident might become the 3rd or 4th most watched episode in The Kardashians history…he will benefit from it eventually.

Dan Gilbert – 6.0 on the Losing Scale

Source: The Basketball Jones

Dan Gilbert is that owner in your fantasy league that vetoes any trade that doesn’t involve him. At this point, he’s a complete joke.

Alright man, we get it. LeBron James screwed you and your entire city over. GET OVER IT.

YOU were the man that coddled him at every turn. YOU were the man that signed washed up players to huge contracts because you wanted to win immediately instead of build a complete team that LeBron could grow with. YOU were the enabler. YOU blew it just as much as LeBron.

Should LeBron have announced he was leaving on national television in such a narcissistic manner? Of course not. But when people like you, Dan Gilbert, have been telling him how perfect he is for the last fifteen years of his life, what do you expect the guy to do?

In the irony of ironies, your little letter yesterday failed to notice one thing: this trade was AWESOME for the Hornets, a fellow small-market team just like Cleveland.

You got mixed up in big names and dollar signs – the same flaw you made for seven years with LeBron James – in order to get some bitterness out.  In the process, you destroyed some competitive balance (which has never actually existed anyway…just look at a list of NBA Champions sometime) by screwing over the Hornets for no real reason.

You were a sympathetic figure as soon as The Decision happened. Your letter immediately afterwards backfired on you a little. This letter makes you look like a disgrace.

Good luck getting anyone to come to Cleveland ever again.

New Orleans Hornets – 8.9 on the Losing Scale

An absolute atrocity.

They would have gone from a team that barely made the playoffs last year to a team with the following lineup.

Starters:

• Jarrett Jack
• Kevin Martin
• Lamar Odom
• Luis Scola
• Emeka Okafor

Bench:

• Trevor Ariza
• Goran Dragic
• Quincy Pondexter

That’s a solid team. Plus, they would be getting draft picks AND a lot of (future) cap space to make a big signing in free agency. They made their team deeper, younger, AND more flexible in one trade.

Now, they are left with nothing.

You might say, “That’s not true. They are left with Chris Paul!”

But again, Chris Paul is NOT coming back next season. Good luck building around an aging Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza. Who would want to come to New Orleans to play with them?

I can’t say this clearly enough: the Hornets have been absolutely CRUSHED by the NBA reneging this deal…the organization that actually owns them!

Kobe Bryant – 9.0 on the Losing Scale

The stakes for Kobe at this point are clear: his peak will never be as good as Jordan’s peak, and that’s fine; his career could still be better than Jordan’s career, however.

What does he need for that to happen? Three more solid years and one or two more championships.

With Chris Paul on board, those prospects seemed good. With Chris Paul and Dwight Howard on board, those prospects were basically guaranteed.

Now? I just don’t know.

Maybe Kobe can get Pau and Lamar back on board and get them all to “stick it to the man” this year. Maybe the Lakers can get back to the Finals once or twice while Kobe is on his last legs.

Maybe.

But probably not.

And for Kobe, a guy who doesn’t want to merely finish in the top ten all time, but wants true greatness…he loses more than almost anyone else in this deal.

David Stern – 9.6 on the Losing Scale

Except for this man.

At this point, David Stern has completely lost touch with reality. He has no idea what is good for the league and what’s not.

Did “basketball reasons” exist when LeBron and Chris Bosh hijacked their teams last summer, illegally negotiated a deal under the table to play with each other, and stabbed their teams in the back?

Did “basketball reasons” exist when Chris Wallace gave away Pau Gasol to the Lakers for a pittance and swung two titles in L.A.’s favor?

Would “basketball reasons” have existed if Chris Paul was traded to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, and two draft picks?

In the past year, David Stern has gone from “unquestionably the best commissioner in all of sports” (in many people’s eyes) to “one of the sole reasons people are turning away from it in droves.”

There’s no way Stern survives this now.

If Chris Paul really does file a lawsuit against the league (and at this point, it’s looking like he will), the damage could be irreparable…not just for Stern, but for the NBA as a whole.

Not only has he disgraced himself, but he’s disgraced his entire league in the process.

I’m sure David Stern would say he’s trying his best, but as Sean Connery reminded us in The Rock, losers always whine about their best.

So long, Mr. Stern. It wasn’t nice knowing you.

To this, even I, a baseball ‘apologist’ who’s preferred the sport far more than any other his entire life, would perhaps snicker; but on the other hand, when Selig says baseball is “as popular as ever,” I maintain he is correct.

And one of the prime reasons, believe it or not, is the great parity in today’s game.

With regards to the sport’s popularity, consider 162 games, most during the doldrums and heat of summer, rarely accompanied by complimentary publicity or hype from the media, and in an impatient society with short attention spans to the nuances of such a fascinating game, it’s a miracle that baseball continues to break attendance records and keeps interest so high.

Yes, that word we hear so often associated with the NFL — and which baseball was maligned often for lacking — perfectly describes Major League Baseball as we motor into 2011. (And no, steroids is not an issue of concern for 95% of baseball fans I know. It’s a past problem that’s been remedied, and polls show very few fans care about it. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis and many other cities will sell out their entire seasons – 81 home dates – in spite of ESPN’s obsession with this regressive, outdated issue.)

As to comparing baseball’s parity with the other major sports leagues, the NFL has it (though it’s true only three teams have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl the past decade), and the NBA does not (an astonishingly paltry six title winners in over three decades, and four or five dominant teams each year depending upon where the next superstar runs to), as has been accurately documented over and over and over and over recently, much to the chagrin of its incredibly arrogant commissioner, many sportswriters, and the “company men” at ESPN and TNT.

And while the NFL and NBA are headed toward lockouts, MLB has had “labor peace” for nearly two decades.

But since none of that will quiet the imperious critics, let’s see how “bad” the parity in baseball is.

ONLY TWO teams coming into our new season that begins in three weeks have endured years of frustration: Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

And while Pittsburgh appears to lack the pitching to compete for awhile, they do have some of the best young hitters in all of baseball in Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones and Jose Tabata. I watched all these guys in person in Indianapolis from 2008-2010, and they’re extremely talented.

The Royals, as many realize, have the best rated farm system in a decade! As players matriculate down I-29 from Omaha to KC, they’ll be playoff contenders in 2013, if not 2012.

Everyone else competes well now, and all quite recently.

*For years, people mocked the so-called small market Rays, Reds, Padres, Blue Jays, Brewers, Athletics, and even Rockies, Tigers and Twins for subpar performances. Well, that’s factual rubbish here on 3/11/11.

Not only are these teams consistently competitive and successful, but they’ve had World Series appearances,  playoff runs, 85-90 win campaigns in tough divisions, and should all be pretty darn good against his year.

Between 2001 and 2011, TEN different teams won the World Series. While the Yankees and Red Sox had their runs, FIVE other squads (Rangers, Angels, Rays, White Sox and Tigers) also won American League pennants.

*In the Senior Circuit, the parity was even stronger, with SEVEN different clubs claiming the pennant — not even including Atlanta, who’s only had two losing seasons in the past 20.

*In all, just five of 30 baseball organizations (a paltry 16%) have failed to play postseason baseball–the most exclusive playoffs in sports, with only eight spots available, as opposed to double that number in the NBA or NHL. And one of those, the Washington Nationals, have only been in existence for six seasons.

I can go team by team, but that would be overkill. Let’s just ponder something in comparison:

Can the NBA say the above about the Pacers, Kings, Wizards, Warriors, Clippers, Timberwolves, even Bucks, Hornets, Sixers, Nets and Raptors in the past 5 years or so, despite more than half the league making the postseason? Nope.

So why does the NBA get a pass from obsequious blowhards like ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd and those other company men of the mainstream sports media brass? (i.e. fatuous fools who consider themselves “rebels” but are the exact opposite)? Because we’re all supposed to embrace and adore big stars in big cities? Baseball gets hammered for that! The regional elitism and hypocrisy is breathtaking, my friends.

At the end of the day, the only argument they give to NBA critics like me is, yep, calling someone a “racist.” Sounds like our political climate, where name-calling has replaced rational discourse far too often the past few years. When you deviate into name-calling, you’ve lost the argument.

In any event, there’s clearly no “racism” in the NBA, nor among its fans; nor is there “racism” in football or baseball. That’s simply a bad and inappropriate cop out.

If you really want to talk about “racism” in the NBA, why won’t the great Kevin Love receive the accolades, attention, and long-term/max contracts of other strong players in smaller markets past and present, a la Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett, et al?

Interesting…but silly too…

So unlike the debacle Mr. Stern has created over his endless NBA tenure (I won’t even get into the insane “one year in college” rule that’s hurt the amateur game I love; or the off-field “character” issues, since the NFL now has even more troubling issues there), parity is as strong as ever in Major League Baseball.

Mr. Selig, you’ve made glaring errors in your tenure, but you’re definitely correct about the sport’s popularity, division of power, and perhaps we are enjoying another “Golden Era,” sir.

admittedly i am a bit slow, but my target date for riley to replace spoelestra is christmas day.  come on did we not see this coming from day 1?

seriously, christmas day heat @ lakers… riley back in LA… you pretending i am stupid.

again, NBA = WWF.  lebron is too dumb to know he is playing the role of villain akin to iron sheik/undertaker.

jerod, start the countdown clock on the website…

With all of the turmoil surrounding Erik Spoelstra and his job security in Miami, this certainly is an intriguing thought and possibility.

And because I had so much success with this particular friend’s emails/message board posts in the past – yes, it was the same guy who inspired me to write this -  I decided that we should indeed start the countdown clock here on “the website” (It has a name, you jackwagon!). Of course, we don’t really do countdown clocks here at MIDWEST SPORTS FANS, so instead I decided to create a photo story that shows how and why this eminently plausible Riley takeover on Christmas might happen.

I bet it’s not exactly how you’re thinking.

Oh, and for anyone who doesn’t get the Hot Clicks reference, ignore the rest of your responsibilities for the day and click here.

Enjoy.

Note: If for some reason you can’t see the image above, click to view it here.

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You know the guy. Short little white guy, with the glasses? The one who shakes the hands of the the newcomers in the NBA Draft? The guy who has been running the league we love dearly since 1984?

Yeah that guy. How can you not love the guy? He made the NBA Playoffs “Amazing” again, he showed us how the “NBA Cares”, he’s made the league’s athletes look like they belong on GQ, rather than on the streets. Yes, David Stern is an iconic figure in American sports.

But this just in…David Stern is turning more and more into a dictator during in these NBA playoffs.

Image credit: Awful Announcing

Apparently the NBA’s commissioner wants to take a full-fledged dictatorial role in the NBA, huh? Not surprising actually.

David Stern throws out fines as if he were a flower-girl at a wedding. This guy actually prefers suspending, than fining…damn, that is harsh, huh?

Now that I think of it, Stern does also like to throw out fines as well, like that quarter of a million dollars he asked of LeBron for missing out on last year’s press-conference after the Eastern Conference Finals series loss to Orlando. I wish I had a quarter of a mil right now.

I’ve got much respect for Stern, but sometimes he’s like that one aunt that you don’t like. The one that blames you for everything, who spanks you as a child even though it was her “perfect” son’s fault. Yeah, Stern is the same way, except he’s a billion dollars richer, and can rock the beard pretty well.

Image credit: AP via SI.com

Sometimes I’ve got to give they guy credit, for situations like the Ron Artest/Pistons love affair:

Eesh. Still gives me chills when I watch it.

But back to the point, Stern does what he does for a reason, even if he seems like Castro. I mean heck, the man gets his point across whether you like it or not. And it’s funny, because even the objects of his wrath still seem to be able to find the time to show him some love:

Image credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images via ESPN.com

It is always good to love (or love, because you fear) David Stern.

But this postseason, I don’t know if you can say Stern has shown the love back. Here are a few recent fines/suspensions by the big cheese in the past months or so:

• David Stern fines LA coach Phil Jackson for criticizing officiating on OKC’s Kevin Durant ($35,000)
• David Stern suspends Celtics F Kevin Garnett for elbow to Miami’s Quentin Richardson (1 game)
• David Stern fines Miami G Quentin Richardson for altercation with Garnett ($25,000)
• Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy fined for criticizing refs ($35,000)
• Orlando Magic F Matt Barnes fined for criticizing refs ($35,000)
• David Stern fines Orlando C Dwight Howard for comments on officiating ($35,000)
• David Stern fines Celtics coach Doc Rivers for arguing a call ($25,000)
• David Stern fines Mavericks C Dampier for arguing a call ($35,000)
• David Stern fines Celtics F Rasheed Wallace for arguing a call (35,000)

That’s not so bad, only a total of..$260,000!!!

Just, you know, go to go to Home Depot, and get one of those money tree things, and everything little thing is gonna be all right…

Got to love that man. I mean the name “Stern” is a perfect fit.

Oh, and then there is this from Stern:

“If I had to do it again … the price wouldn’t be a modest $35,000 fine. It would be whatever a day’s pay is and then two day’s pay and then a week’s pay. And if someone wants to try me in the rest of this playoffs, make my day.”

It doesn’t like the reign of Stern will be ending anytime soon.

Who knows, maybe this type of dictator’s disposition is inevitable when you’re a short, smart dude in a business dominated almost solely by talent, athleticism, and of course, size.

Image credit: Living and Dying by the Jazz

Stern may not have the size of the players he reigns over, but he does have the power to shrink their size…the size of their wallets, that is. He’s proven it time and time again, with this year’s playoffs simply upping the ante yet again.

Arenas, who was convicted of bringing in guns to the team’s locker room last month, has been continually harassed and ambushed by media outlets, fans and many alike searching for an answer.

Who? What? When? Where? and Why?

Well Stern has answered one question to the whole Arenas mess, and that is his NBA consequence. (can’t wait to hear how long he’ll spend in the slammer).

Wizards G/F Javaris Crittenton will also be suspended for the Dec.21st gun incident, as he also has as much responsibility as Arenas in this case.

“There is no justification for their conduct,” Stern said.

Arenas strongly agrees with Stern’s decision, as he stated in his last game (Jan.5th), that Stern should banish him for the rest of the season for the act.

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action, ” states Stern.

Not only will he be gone for the year, but there is a good chance that the Wizard’s star will face up to 6 months in prison.

While Crittenton was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation, and community service after he plead guilty.

Meanwhile, the Wizards must figure something out to do with the mess. Many folk suggest that Washington just might void the contract of Arenas, whom has 4 years remaining on the contract, with $80 million left, and currently making $16 million this season.

**********

Gilbert Arenas photo credit: PHOTO: SLOCUM/AP

Meanwhile back at the Friendly Confines (no wait that’s another sport), I mean the United Center, the fans that were on the edge of their seats jumped up in unison as their eyes were glued to the screen above the scoreboard at center court.

“It means a lot to play at home. The Bulls had great players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman,” said an elated Rose minutes after pulling the token Chicago Bulls cap snuggly on his head while holding up the #1 jersey that was given him as he made his way to the podium. “Just knowing that I can be a part of that history, it’s amazing.”

Downstairs in the War room coaches, scouts, and General Manager John Paxson drew a heavy sigh of relief after weeks and months of agonizing decisions that would hopefully lead the Bulls back to the Promised Land. The Bulls proved that this might be their year (umm…wrong sport again?) by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the brief history of the NBA Lottery with the ping pong ball bouncing Chicago’s way. The Bulls had a slim 1.7 percent chance off pulling off a miracle, but the Brass must have rubbed Michael Jordan’s head before the airing.

Then the most important debate began since the 1984 NBA draft where the Bulls got some guy from North Carolina dropped in their lap as the third pick overall. Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie went number one and two respectfully, and we all know how that turned out.

This pick seem like more of a challenge between two “would be” superstars in the league, home-grown talent Memphis point guard Derrick Rose and Kansas State forward Michael “The Beast” Beasley. The picked marked the first time the Memphis Tigers had a player being drafted #1 overall in the NBA.

The other previous highest Tiger was Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway as the third pick in the 1993 draft by Golden State, and then was promptly traded to the Orlando Magic.

Derrick Rose, a 6’3” point guard was the second leading scorer for the Tigers dropping 14.9 pints per game (ppg) while hauling down 4.5 boards and 4.7 assists. He was also named to the consensus All-American Freshman team along with grabbing honors as the Associated Press All-American third team, and a Bob Cousy Award Finalist. (Oh, and I forgot one little bit of information), he was selected to the All-Conference USA team and was the League’s freshman of the year.

by Nicholas Gerlach

Save for a couple of moves by Golden State, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Clippers (who are currently trying their hardest to supplant the Knicks for the title of “Worst Front Office in the NBA”) the 2008 NBA free agent signing period has been duller than Renee Zellwegger. So dull, in fact, that people are already talking about 2010 when the LeBron sweepstakes begins. LeBron’s contract goes through 2010-2011 but he could opt out after the 2010 season. There is a good chance that Cleveland won’t be able to afford him and he will jet for Brooklyn to play for the Nets and be even closer to his beloved New York Yankees. But WAIT…….Greek team Olympiakos has indicated that they are considering making a run at James in 2010.

This is the same team that signed Josh Childress to a three-year $20 million “net” (most taxes and living expenses are paid by the team in situations like this) contract. What are the Aggelopoulos brothers, the billionaire owners of Olympiakos, willing to give King James? There have been reports of $40 million a year “net”. LeBron James has reportedly indicated that he would listen if they were to offer around $50 million annum. He has said in the past that he wants to be the first billionaire athlete and this would be a huge step in that direction due to the international exposure.

Is this going to signify the end of the salary cap in the NBA? This may have to happen to be able to compete with the win-at-all-costs billionaire owners overseas. The Aggelopoulos brothers (the only Greek billionaires that haven’t boned Paris Hilton yet) don’t expect to make enough revenue to cover LeBron’s offer and expect to end up losing money on this deal. But, winning still matters in Europe…and they don’t even fix their games yet. How can NBA team owners compete with the salaries international teams are willing to offer? Lebron James is making less than $20 million a year in Cleveland next season.

It is unlikely that James will end up overseas. But, this might be a wake up call to Emperor Stern and the owners of the NBA. The lure of being an NBA player may no longer be enough. The international talent level is catching up and they are willing to pay, and even overpay, for NBA level talent. If they do get rid of the salary cap…I just hope that George Steinbrenner doesn’t buy the Knicks.

Lebron James picture courtesy of Cleveland Sports Authority

David Stern with Hakeem and mustache picture courtesy of The Sports Hernia