NBA draft Page 17 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

John Wall Also Knew The Cavs Were Going To Win The Lottery. HMM.
TrueHoop's Henry Abbott asks that we take a second look at this throwaway line from Harvey Araton's piece on Kyrie Irving in the New York Times today: "Tuesday night, John Wall — last year's first pick by Washington — whispered 'Cleveland' in [Irving's] ear before the cameras turned on." Hmm. HMM. [...

Lottery Team Admits It's A Pretty Weak Draft Class
Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: The Raptors, who got unlucky in falling to the fifth pick, aren't sweating it....

This Video Suggests That David Kahn Was Just Trying To Make A Funny
Yes, last night David Kahn broke the funny rule that jokes that are even vaguely about kids with terrible diseases and/or widows are never really funny, but the actual tone of the remarks he made last night — which have since given rise to conspiracy theories, a load of criticism, a Twitter trend,...

David Kahn Sort Of Accuses Stern Of Fixing Lottery So Gilbert's Sick Kid Would Win
So we told you about Dan Gilbert's son, who won the draft lottery tonight, but was born with neurofibromatosis, a disease that means tumors can grow throughout his body without warning....

The Jimmer Is Too Famous To Attend The Classes, BYU Says
From the Mormons Reap What They Sow Dept.: Jimmer has had to stop attending classes on the BYU campus because his celebrity is too distracting. Seriously....

The NCAA's Futile Effort To Fix The NBA Draft
The new NCAA President wants to change the rules on draft eligibility, proposing an MLB-style system. It's a noble effort. It's completely unworkable....

Private Stache: Dutch Lovin'
As keeper of Sports Illustrated's indispensable Vault, Andy Gray spends a lot of his time sifting through the sports photography of another time, when athletes wore short shorts and facial hair, and everyone looked vaguely uncomfortable. Here is one such photo....

Realistic Memphis Fan Resigned To His Fate
Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day....

Draft Night Does Not Ease Knicks Fans' Pain
Everyone agreed that the Knickerbockers need a big man and/or a point guard to complement the arrival of youknowwho. Naturally they used the NBA Draft to grab two mid-size scorers that were on no one's radar. Savvy, as usual....

NBA Draft: Where People With More Talent Than You Become Millionaires
Wall, Turner, Favors, Johnson, and Cousins are the first five. No surprises there, because I am incapable of forming an opinion about the NBA. Nothing can shock me! [Live updates @ ESPN; Photo: AP]...

Deadspin Classic: Heckling Stephen A. Without Mercy
The NBA Draft is tonight, and one's mind casts back to its finer moments: the dog-eared envelope; the fire engine worn by Jalen Rose; and of course the night in 2006 that Stephen A. Smith was heckled and heckled and heckled....

Ricky Rubio Had A Miserable Draft Night, According To His (Platonic) Escort
A year ago, Ethan Sherwood Strauss worked as Rubio's league-assigned escort at the NBA Draft, which made him privy to the young Spaniard's innermost thoughts. Such as: "They drafted ANOTHER point guard? Why?" [Free Darko]...

Won't Some NBA Team Please Draft This Short, Slow Filipino Basketball Player?
That's Chris Tiu, a popular basketball player in the Philippines. He has lots of fans who think some NBA team should draft him in the second round. One caveat: "At 5'11" he won't beat you with speed." [Draft Chris Tiu]...

And Your No. 1 NBA Draft Pick Goes To ... The Wizards
Sorry, John Wall. Washington leapfrogs four teams to get the No. 1 slot. My vague, unverifiable prediction: The Nets will be glad for this in the long run, I think....

Another Jayhawk Goes Pro — This One, Without Any College Experience
A Kansas law school student, not so confident about his job prospects, declares for the NBA Draft, thinking his chances will be better there. Well, they'll be better than Wayne Simien's, anyway. [Kansas Law Free Press]...

Oklahoma Freshman "Leavin Skool" To Enter NBA Draft
Tommy Mason-Griffin poetically declared for the draft on Facebook: "its a official dat i am leavin skool....ask me y i aint doin anotha yr yue mite get ignored." Yeah, I think he's gotten all he can from higher education....

Mazel Tov, Omri Casspi
Casspi was selected with the 23rd pick in the Draft last night, which, in David Stern's mind, completely validates the NBA's entire push for globalization. Shalom, chaver. If Casspi — a 6-foot-9 small forward who had some success in the Euroleague — makes the NBA, he will be the first Israeli and se...

Blake Griffin Is A Clipper
1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma. Okay, so the pick hasn't been announced yet, but it's not exactly a secret....

Ricky Rubio Materializes, Underwhelms
Ricky Rubio, knight-errant of YouTube, finally worked out for the Kings yesterday, and no one seemed terribly thrilled, least of all Ricky Rubio....

Getting To Know Your Draft Clichés
The Kurtenblog finds meaning in the meaningless announcer drivel that populates the NHL Draft. Yes, they have one, too! But it works for pretty much any sporting event where analysts have no idea what they're talking about. [Orland Kurtenblog]...