Sacramento Unveils Arena Plan

((HT: News10 Sacramento))

Okay... here's the first salvo from Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson in his desire to keeping the Kings in town and not having them move to Anaheim and become the Royals...

Nick Monacelli has the details before they change due to more politics...


While this looks good and all, the HQ isn't holding its collective breath on this one...

Crittenton Waives Extradition

HT: MyFoxLA))

Not that this is much of a surprise or anything... but ex-NBA'er Javaris Crittenton waived his extradition rights and is heading back to Georgia to face the murder charge hanging over his head...

Rick Lozano was somewhere near the courtroom...

Former LA Laker Waives Extradition: MyFoxLA.com

On the home side of the matter, Deidra Dukes from WAGA-TV caught up with some of the victim's family and the reaction is not unexpected...
((HT: MYFoxAtlanta))

Victim's Family Relieved at Crittenton Arrest: MyFoxATLANTA.com

NBA Sues Players Association- And It's Only The Beginning...

From the NBA their own selves... the HQ thinks Christmas Day will be the time all of this is settled, but that's our initial gut reaction...

The NBA filed two claims today against the National Basketball Players Association: an unfair labor practice charge before the National Labor Relations Board, and a lawsuit in federal district court in New York. The unfair labor practice charge asserts that the Players Association has failed to bargain in good faith by virtue of its unlawful threats to commence a sham “decertification” and an antitrust lawsuit challenging the NBA’s lockout. The federal lawsuit seeks to establish, among other things, that the NBA's lockout does not violate federal antitrust laws and that if the Players Association's “decertification” were found to be lawful, all existing player contracts would become void and unenforceable.

“These claims were filed in an effort to eliminate the use of impermissible pressure tactics by the union which are impeding the parties’ ability to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Adam Silver. “For the parties to reach agreement on a new CBA, the union must commit to the collective bargaining process fully and in good faith.”

BREAKING: And We Have Lockout...

NBA Players Union chief Billy Hunter says owners are locking out their players eight-and-a-half hours early after failing to reach a new CBA.

In a three-hour meeting Thursday, the sides could not close the gap that remains between the two parties in their positions.

All league business is officially on hold, starting with the free agency period that would have opened Friday. The last lockout reduced the 1998-99 season to just a 50-game schedule, the only time the NBA missed games for a work stoppage.

Union executive committee member Matt Bonner says "we tried to avoid the lockout; unfortunately we couldn't reach a deal."

Earlier this week on "The Dan Patrick Show" Charles Barkley's gut feeling told him that the entire season would be lost...

Remember, this is what we were subjected to the last time this happened...


More when we know more...

BREAKING: Antoine Walker Gets Plea Deal

((HT: NBADLeague))

Antoine Walker's Vegas debts have now caught up with him...

Officially...

He pleaded guilty to passing bad checks to take care of unpaid gambling debts in Las Vegas that he didn't take care of because of the bad checks.

The Las Vegas Sun reports the Idaho Stampedes player is now on probation and will work off the outstanding $750,000.

“Being put on probation, he’ll have a court order to pay the restitution to the casinos,” said Deputy District Attorney Sam Bateman.

The criminal complaint against Walker was filed in 2009, accusing him of having the debts at Caesars Palace, Red Rock and the Planet Hollywood casinos.

It's pretty likely that Walker won't get any jail time in all of this as long as he pays off the debt service. He pleaded not guilty to the six felony counts in June of 2010, before changing his plea.

Here's an interview the D-League did with Walker on his comeback...


In 43 games with the Stampede this past D-League season, Walker averaged 16 points per game. Idaho missed out on the 8th seed in the playoffs in a tie-breaker with their 24-26 record under Randy Livingston.

Your Mavs Victory Parade Highlights

((HT: WFAA-TV Dallas))
The "Before" at the AAC is off to the left...

Here's your introductions...
We're quite fond of how Shawn Marion took to the platform...

An estimated 250,000 people or more attended Thursday morning's parade to celebrate the Mavs' NBA Championship.



And some of the pictures, thanks to Brother Marty...

Doris Burke's Bad Take Rolled Anyway

((HT: ESPN/NBA/nbavideosnow))

The HQ will readily admit that we've all flubbed our lines every now and again before we got our stand-up right. Most of the time we're editing our own material so it would have been our fault if something aired wrong...

Last night, during the end of our "night out on the town," TBH was witness to an abnormality on network television- the tape cued to the wrong portion of the Doris Burke stand-up describing what she wanted to describe in the Dallas-Oklahoma City series.

Here's how it ran on the four-letter... no edits...


Someone ((or someones)) in the TV truck were, probably, in serious trouble last night in the post meeting... and we can guarantee that folks in Bristol weren't happy about the on-air technical gaffe, either...

Enjoy your NBA Playoffs: Strike/Lockout looming

NBA Union Chief Billy Hunter and Commish David Stern

((ht: latimes))

Because we now know that all Sports fans are learning the finer details of labor law thanks to the NFL, we wanted to remind you about this.

The NBA is headed down the same path the NFL is going.

Yeah, that's right. And it could be uglier than the NFL's problems.

The Los Angeles Times has an interview with the head of the NBA Players Association and if what he says is true, NBA fans, you've got a problem.

According to a memo first reported on by the Sports Business Journal and repeated by many, the NBA is looking to cut their overhead. By that we mean costs...or more specifically, salaries.

The NBA is supposedly pushing for a 22% reduction on their salary cap and get rid of the current "Luxury Tax" for those big spenders who blow past it. A big reason, apparently more than 50% of the leagues teams lost money in 2009-10.

Read the original story from the Times RIGHT HERE

Yes, you should be worried Mr. NBA fan. The players are going to fight such a drastic pay cut. Hard. We aren't shocked at the report NBA teams are losing money, we don't quite honestly see how they could be making money. The salaries paid in that league are quite honestly, obscene. Joe Johnson getting a $125 million contract--really? There are no athletes, and shouldn't be any CEO's making that kind of money. Period.

Obviously, we will keep an eye on this story because it will be developing as the summer progresses. We just wanted to let you know, in case you didn't, that the NFL may not be the only league staring down labor issues.

What's Up With The Memphis Grizzles...???

And the HQ means this in a good way for once...

They knocked off the top-seed in the western conference and now they've gotten home court advantage after their Game 1 114-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Zach Randolph is a beast at present...
Here's your coverage from our friends at MyFoxMemphis...

Grizzlies Power Past Thunder 114-101: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

And if you're looking for a spare ticket for games 3 and 4 in the series...
There are no spares... good for Memphis...

Oh, in other playoffs news... the Three Kings knocked off Boston in game 1, too...

Sac-Town Leaders Step Up For Kings...

((HT: News10.net))

But, is it too little too late...???

A bunch of corporate types had a meeeting with Mayor Kevin Johnson and pledged upwards of $10-million in support...

The league now has a week to figure out if they finally can move the franchise to Anaheim or keep them in Sacramento for another year...

Here's coverage from our friends at News10...

Kings Staying In Sac-Town...???

((HT: News10 Sacramento))

Well, maybe...
Dunno...

Kevin Johnson, former NBA'er and current mayor of Sacramento, has just survived two days of meetings with the relocation committee- led by Oke City owner Clay Bennett- and, now the Kings' home next year seems to be in some kind of question...

Our friends at News10 try to give us some kind of answers...


The HQ is fairly confident that the Kings-Royals could work in Anaheim- despite the protestations of Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. The plan is in place, and we're still thinking that the move to the OC is somewhat inevitable...

This is, probably, the last chance of last chances doing that whole "due diligence" thing...

More when we know more...

Is This The End For The Sac Kings...???

((HT: News10 Sacramento))

The Lakers are in Sac-Town tonight for the last home game this season for the Kings, but it could be the last game for the Kings period as they possibly morph into the Anaheim Royals.

Christina, Dale, and Ryan are involved in team coverage...

Charlie Villanueva Suspended For Five Games

((HT: FSDetroit/NBA/ESPN/Clevelandsports247))

The Pistons-Cavs game really meant a whole lot of nothing as the NBA season came to a clse, but it wasn't without its fireworks...

Villanueva brings a new definition to "moving pick" and "swinging gate."
Interesting...


As a result, Villanueva has been suspended five games without pay for the fight with Hollins and "attempting to escalate the altercation by entering the Cavaliers' locker room on two occasions following his ejection..."

It's one for this year and the first four of next year...
Well done, Charlie...

Kobe Says Some Bad Words... Fined 6 Figures...

((HT: NBA on TNT/youtube))

Let's just say that the Mamba was not happy that he got a techincal foul in last night's game against the Spurs..

He sat down, and if you're a lip reader, you can figure it out...


UPDATE: Kobe was fined $100,000 and apologized hoping he didn't offend anyone...

Here's Kobe discussing with Mason and Ireland...
((HT: ESPN/ESPN 710 Los Angeles))

Elbow To Face= Fist To The Ribs

((HT: CSNWashington/NBA/blazersedgeben))

John Wall didn't like getting elbowed in the Wednesday night game between his Wizards and the Heat. The only problem with that is when Zydrunas Ilgauskas elbows you in the chops, you can't just hit him back in the chops if you're a guard...

Evidence below...


Doesn't quite seem like a fair fight unless a stepladder is involved...

DEVELOPING: Anaheim Approves Funding For Kings

The Anaheim city council unanimously approved the long-rumored US$75-million bond deal in their attempt to try and bring the Sacramento Kings south to the Honda Center.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait continues to say that there are NO FINANCIAL PROBLEMS and there won't be any public dollars spent.

Samueli also manages Honda Center, and he's putting his own money into a deal for upgrades to Honda Center and other moving costs. The money is rumored to be $25-million in the upgrades.

The Kings must file for relocation with the NBA by April 18.

More when we know more...

Anaheim Thinks $75M Can Lure Kings

((HT: 10news.net))

The city of Anaheim and the Samuelis think that $75-million can get the Kings to Anaheim post haste...

Improvements to Honda Center would be capped at $25 million, while transition costs couldn't go over $50 million.

Part of the deal is that the city of Anaheim is the only name associated with the Royals if they jump Sac-Town. There will be no "Los Angeles Royals Of Anaheim" or anything like that...

Here's the quick version...


Steve Large has the longer version from our friends at CBS13

How Does "Anaheim Royals" Sound? Not Good In Sacramento

It beginning to look as if Southern California will get a third NBA team. This one playing in Anaheim.

It's a outcome Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson seems to have resigned himself to.

Rumors have been flying this season that the Sacramento Kings were leaving California's capitol city. Confirmation that it was more than just rumors came from none other than the NBA's grand poohbah David Stern.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait confirmed Tuesday that negotiations are ongoing with the Kings to bring the franchise to Anaheim where they would play at the Honda Center.

"This is something this city has been waiting 18 years for," Tait said in an interview with the Orange County Register. "I am very excited."

In his blog Johnson, who you may remember was an all-star guard for the Phoenix Suns, wrote, " First we heard from NBA Commissioner David Stern, who said rumors about the Kings’ talks with Anaheim were more than rumors."

"Next was the decision by the Kings not to share financial market data with the team of professionals selected by the City Council to study the feasibility of our new entertainment and sports complex.

"Then we saw the Kings playing games in “Royals” uniforms – supposedly to celebrate their history when the club was based in Rochester, N.Y., and Cincinnati from 1948 to 1972."

You can read Mayor Johnson's blog right here: http://www.kevinjohnson.com/KevinsBlog/tabid/98/Article/809/watching-kings-prepare-to-leave-is-like-slow-death.aspx

And it looks as if "Royals" would return. Earlier this month the Maloof brothers who own the franchise filed for a trademark with names. Among the names filed for according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website were: Anaheim Royals, Anaheim Royals of Southern California, Orange County Royals and Los Angeles Royals. The filing was made on March 3rd. The Maloofs have until April 18th to file with the league for relocation.

The Kings have been a transient franchise. The team began in Rochester, NY as the "Rochester Royals before moving to Cincinnati in 1957. In 1972 they franchise changed their name to "King" after moving to Kansas City. They kept the "Kings" nickname for their fourth move to Sacramento in 1985.

They would have to change back to "Royals" since the Los Angeles Kings play hockey up the road in downtown L.A.

Celtics Hold Bucks To 56 Points...???

((HT: NBA/NBA.com/youtube))

Okay, this effort was just unacceptable...

22 total points in the entire first half...
38 after three... an NBA record- according to Elias...
56 after that...

Which means the game was OVER and Milwaukee scored 56 effing points...

It was the lowest score against the Celtics since they beat another Milwaukee team ((the-then)) Hawks 62-57 in Providence, Rhode Island on February 27th, 1955. The Bucks, who joined the NBA before the 1968-69 season, set a franchise record for fewest points.

"That's about as humiliating a defeat as you'll ever see," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "They got us on our heels and took our competitive fight away from us. We pretty much just gave into it."

FOSG Beau Estes has the highlights... Boston-speaking, of course...


What's worse than "poor...?"

Nets And Toronto Don't Want To Leave London

((HT: MSG/NBA/youtube))

Usually, what the American sports leagues do when they have games overseas (short of, maybe, hockey) is send two teams the States don't care about for the exhibitons that really count in the standings in the meaning of goodwill and all that.

What does the NBA do...? Send the Hets and Toronto for their global branding experiment...

The teams didn't want to leave since they went three overtimes thanks to the likes of Machine, Leandro Barbosa, and Deron Williams finishing at 137-136...

Here's a breakdown of the Brook Lopez highlights in the triple-overtime winner by the Nets...
Marv has your calls with The Czar doing color...