nba Page 724 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Fired NBA Refs At Head Of Line To Join The Scabs
The NBA needs replacements for their locked out referees so they're putting together a list of guys who own whistles—one of whom just happens to have been fired for being terrible at refereeing NBA games....

Deadspin National Poll Of The Week: Who Should Replace NBA Refs?
With the NBA referee lockout a foregone conclusion, we asked millions of Americans who they thought would make the best replacement referees for the upcoming 2009-2010 NBA season. Here are the results. [Source: Gallup]...

Evil Russian Mastermind To Buy Nets In Crucial 'Phase 1' Of Operation
Mikhail Prokhorov (actual picture) is one of Russia's richest and most sinister men. Now he's extending his tentacles into America as the newest majority owner of the Nets. But what's he really up to?...

Anyone Want To Ref Some NBA Games?
"The NBA formally declared a lockout of its referees Friday, virtually guaranteeing that the league will open the preseason with replacement officials in two weeks." [NYT]...

Playground's Michael Jordan
New York magazine's excellent Sam Anderson reviews Flight, the magisterial Michael Jordan biography written and illustrated by Sam Anderson, age 13. [New York]...

Delonte West Is "The Road Warrior"
Cavs guard Delonte West was arrested last night, carrying two handguns and a shotgun. On his motorcycle. A) Where was he carrying the shotgun? (Answer below!) B) Was there an apocalypse that no one told me about? [WUSA9/Plain-Dealer]...

Russian Billionaires Are NBA's Last Hope
All New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner wants to do is get the Nets out of New Jersey and plant them in the heart of Brooklyn, but he's missing one key ingredient. What's it called? Oh right...money. He has none....

NBA Players Will Have To Call Their Own From Now On (UPDATE)
Here's a tip for the NBA referee's union. When negotiating for better benefits and more job security, try to avoid bargaining from the position of being the most hated and least respected workforce in America....

Psycho T Found Your Dog!
Tyler Hansbrough—and a Andy Katz doppelganger—will find your lost puppy through the magic of social networking (and AT&T! What a great corporate partner!) It's a shame that this doesn't violate any NCAA rules. [Rush The Court]...

LeBron Conquers Hollywood, One Wacky Hijink At A Time
The geniuses behind "City Slickers 2" are penning "Fantasy Basketball Camp," starring LeBron James. You might have seen this story already today, but it gives me an excuse to run this photo. [Ain't It Cool News]...

Michael Jordan Has Some Crap He Wants To Sell You
Yes, MJ's holding an auction. Just because we're in a recession doesn't mean you shouldn't treat yourself to a $1,500 used pair of shorts or a $1,000 golf ball every now and then. [NBC Chicago]...

Jesus Is The Derek Jeter Of Christianity
He's good at what he does (for Jeter, it's baseball; for Jesus, it's healing the sick or whatever). People love him. He says and does the right things at all the right times....

Heat Staff Find Their Paychecks In A Miami Vise
Want to trim the budget during a recession, but can't get around that little matter of guaranteed contracts? Take a page from Heat, and cut the pay of the entire front office staff, including Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley....

Does Michael Jordan Have Any Friends Left?
Despite what he'll tell you, Jordan wouldn't have won a single title without help. Yet Jerry Krause, the man who assembled that collection of second bananae, won't be there as MJ enters the Hall of Fame. Why not?...

Sympathy For The Refs
More and more it's looking as if the NBA will lock out its referees and turn to scabs instead, and no one will much protest because NBA refs aren't exactly coalminers in Matewan. But this is nevertheless a bad development....

Ron Artest and John Green, Reunited At Last
Sports history was made today when professional crazy man Ron Artest and amateur famewhore John Green called into Detroit's "Drew and Mike" show at the same time, so they could talk about their friendship and simultaneously plug non-existent charity events....

God Apparently Not A Fan Of Allen Iverson
AI tweets this morning:''God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.'' The Good Lord struck Iverson a 1 year, $3.5 million deal with the Grizzlies. [Commercial Appeal]...

Ray Allen Has The Eye Of The Tiger
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap....

Ron Artest And Palace Beer Thrower Become BFFs
Ron Artest says he tracked down John Green—the Detroit thug who threw a beer at him, sparking the worstfunnest night in NBA history—not so he could throttle him silly, but so they could team up for exciting adventures!...

Crystal Taylor: Not Pregnant!
Dirk Nowitzki's ex-fiancée isn't carrying a little Dirkchen, a pregnancy test proved. (Not to mention months in prison with nothing to show for it.) Clearly, while Dirk tried to drain one from outside, there was goaltending on the play. [ESPN.com]...