According to interviews Thomas gave to Sports Illustrated this week, the biggest head turner in the book is the claim—made by Magic and his agent, Lon Rosen—that after Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, Thomas was the one spreading rumors that Magic might have contracted the virus because he was gay.

"Isiah kept questioning people about it,'' Magic says. "I couldn't believe that. The one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach.''

Thomas says that's "bullshit." His own brother died of AIDS and he says he knows better than to spread rumors like that. Thomas also claims that he was the one who led the charge to get Magic a spot in the 1992 All-Star Game, when most of the players were refusing to take the court with an HIV+ player—a fact that's conveniently left out of the book. Now he's furious to discover that this legendary friendship was apparently a sham.

"It's so hypocritical,'' said Thomas, "There's this public person and then there's this b.s. person. There's Earvin and then there's Magic. OK, I understand you've got to sell a book. But if this is how you sell it, then who's kicking who in the stomach? And it's just like the line he perpetuated that he got me the Knicks' job. Oh, yeah? Ask [Knicks owner] Jim Dolan. Call Barry Watkins [the Knicks' senior VP]. That's a lie.

"You're talking about being two-faced? Magic says he put me up for the job, that he was showing up in hard times and telling me everything was OK. And I come to find out he's been the one stabbing me in the back. ... I'm really hurt and disappointed, particularly with the Olympic team, if he was doing that stuff.''

The last part refers to another item in the book, where Magic basically admits that Isiah was shut out of the Olympic Dream Team because no one wanted to play with him. He also blames the whole "Jordan freeze out" at the '85 All-Star Game on Thomas too. Meanwhile, Isiah says the even bigger lie is Magic's current friendship with Larry Bird. ("Magic hated Larry, and he tried to make other people hate Larry.")

It takes a special kind of jerk to make people feel sorry for Isiah Thomas, but Magic just might be that guy. Whoever you believe, it's pretty clear from this sordid tale—and Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech, among other incidents—that pretty much every superstar you idolized as a kid is a selfish, insecure, backstabbing prick. Of course, that's also why they were all such awesome basketball players.

Isiah Thomas blasts Magic Johnson over criticisms in new book [SI.com]

Well, I guess we can give them a little bit of attention since they might shrivel up and die without it. This whole thing started this summer when von Furstenburg got a restraining order again Miller, claiming that Reggie was harassing his wife-to-be, Ali Kay, and that when confronted, Miller basically threatened to have his gang member buddies to shoot him. Then in an effort to lay low and protect his own safety, von Furstenburg hired a virtual sky writer to tell the world he'd been cuckolded by a former Pacer.

Fast forward to this weekend and von Furstenburg—who again, tried to get a legal order of protection to keep this guy away from him—tracked Reggie down at a restaurant and challenged him to a fight. What bravery! Miller drove away without incident and now he has an order of protection against Alex.

This is the lamest high school feud of all time. "I can't come within 50 feet of you? No, you can't within 50 feet of me! Jerk!"

EXCLUSIVE: Reggie Miller Gets Restraining Order In Love Triangle Case [Radar Online]

Owens used his weekly radio show to explain that his comments on Sunday were said merely out of frustration due to the loss to the Washington Redskins and that the fact that roughly half the balls thrown his way were "not a valid catchable pass" is not a reflection on the skills of the man throwing them or the offense that created them. So everything's cool ... ALL RIGHT!? What is not all right, however, is when a no-talent washout like Keyshawn Johnson dares to criticize him from his ESPN analyst chair.

"Then, Owens turned his attention to Johnson, who he referred to as "Sheshawn" on three separate occasions, the Star-Telegram reported.

(As the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft) he is the ultimate underachiever on that (ESPN) panel. I am the reason he is in the booth," Owens said. "Everybody is aware when I was brought to Dallas, he was the one they let go to get me here."

Sooooo ... no hard feelings then? It's kind of hard to know who to side with here. T.O. vs. Keyshawn? Can we get Deion Sanders or Pete Rose involved somehow?

In other news, Terrell Owens has a weekly radio show? How is that not simulecast on all ESPN networks, TBS, Comedy Central and C-SPAN?

• T.O. reportedly defends Romo, rips 'Sheshawn' [MSNBC]

Here's the report:

Shaquille O'Neal took the mic at a NYC club last night, unleashing a freestyle verbal assault directed at his arch-enemy Kobe Bryant — blaming his former teammate for ruining his marriage and imploring him to "Tell me how my ass tastes."

After spending several verses shredding Kobe apart for losing in the NBA playoffs, Shaq drops the line, "I'm a horse, Kobe ratted me out, that's why I'm getting divorced."

The line most likely references a comment Kobe made during his infamous 2003 rape case, when he told Colorado police that he "Should have done what Shaq does ... Shaq would pay his women not to say anything." The two became famously bitter rivals after the incident.

Calls to Kobe's reps were not returned.

It's amazing how catchy that song is: Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes?

You can even download it here. Remix!