NBA Comissioner Stern goes too far: Time to go

Dec. 9, 2011

NBA Commissioner David Stern’s ludicrous decision to veto Thursday’s three-team trade between New Orleans, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets is the most bodacious, outrageous, egotistical and ridiculous move in league’s history.

It’s time for Stern to say goodbye. Retire. He’s always ruled with a heavy hand. He’s always been as close to a bully as a brilliant strategist. He’ll probably go down as the best league leader in professional sports.

But for a New York City native, this smacks of stuff we’d hear about the Mafia. It’s like this the National Basketball Association of David Stern.

It’s time to see and hear Stern say, “I was wrong.”

This decision was so unfair in many different ways.All-Star point guard Chris Paul was slated to join the Lakers. L.A. would have sent all-star power forward Pau Gasol to Houston and valuable sixth man Lamar Odom was headed to New Orleans.

The Hornets also would have received guard Kevin Martin, forward Luis Scola, guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round draft choice Houston had acquired from the New York Knicks.

The league said the trade was knocked down because of ‘basketball reasons.”

Presumably, that’s opposed to volleyball or curling reasons. That’s it? Basketball reasons?

No one knows what that means, but there have been perhaps 100(conservative estimate) worse trades consummated in the league’s history. Shoot, maybe since the turn of the century.

Certainly, when the NBA last season took control of New Orleans franchise ownership, the potential for all types of trouble became possible.

The Hornets then were placed into a different category than every other franchise.

The details of that arrangement between the league and Hornets are unknown to the general public.

Moreover, who knows who knows, if anyone knows.

Hornets general manager Dell Demps seemed to have made a pro-emptive strike to prevent Paul, who can become a free-agent following this season, from opting out of his deal and leaving the team with no compensation.

It would seem the league told Demps he couldn’t do his job and did so, after he did his job well.

Looking forward, one wonders where David Stern’s iron fist stops. There were rumors that small-market owners applied pressure on Stern to crush the deal.

So is Demps now incapable of making a trade with any team or just a team Stern and/or the other owners OK.

Stern said Paul was more valuable in New Orleans. Stern omitted to mention to whom this increased value belongs.Stern has made enough money over the years to shut it down, say goodbye and look back at how the league has grown under his management.

Yo, my man, let it go. It’s time.

From this view, it appears he’s lost it. At least, back in the day, he’d have couched his decision with a real explanation.

Basketball reasons?

Really, Dave?

Lakers show Kings how far they have to go

The Los Angeles Lakers strolled into Arco Arena Wednesday night delivered all that is real.

Clearly, it was too real for the young Sacramento Kings.

It wasn’t just the 12-point victory margin. It was the team-wide defensive intensity combined with a self-knowledge, championship confidence and swagger combined with a discipline of execution that overwhelmed the Kings’ youthful intentions and desires.

The Lakers are what every team wants to be and where every team is attempting to get.

They’ve already won back-to-back titles and nothing was apparent last night to reveal they now aren’t on a similar course.

Could they become better this season than last? Only a season’s evolution and development can lead to that determination.

Yet, as the new-and-still improving almost 31-year-old (Nov. 6) Lamar Odom said, “Better? I hope so. That’s our goal. It’s always realistic, when you strive. Being perfect is like a realistic goal for us. That’s our way of thinking, our thought process.”

Can you get to that? Other teams are attempting to get into the playoffs, perhaps get a high playoff-seed, even. Meanwhile, the Lakers have begun the season 5-0 and have yet to put 23-year-old 7-foot talent Andrew Bynum on the court.

The Lakers seek perfection. Odom sounded like Denzel Washington in “Remember the Titans”, but the sincerity in his delivery and eyes, showed the versatile swingman was deadly serious.

Just as Kobe Bryant always is serious when he steps onto the floor, the Lakers carry themselves with an air of invincibility. That quotient never should be underestimated.

In some ways, Bryant’s presence and dominance manifest themselves in each of the Lakers. That goes the same for legendary coach Phil Jackson.

They don’t get shaken and there never is a situation in which they feel a loss of control.

Listen to how Odom and Derek Fisher speak of Bryant, who had off-season surgery on his right knee for the third time.

Said Odom, “Kobe is coming off surgery. He’s going to will the basketball game to kind of go his way. So, this is nothing different than what I’ve seen since I’ve been playing with him.”

Fisher and Bryant joined the Lakers together in 1996.

“I thought he might start off struggling to find some rhythm,” Fisher said of Bryant, “and he might build some rhythm as things went. But to see him playing this well, this early, he’s on my team, so that’s good for me. But that’s not good for everybody else when he’s playing this good this early.

“It’s not surprising. Nothing that he does surprises me. I’ve just seen too much, too many times. He’s capable of doing pretty much anything and everything.”

That’s the sound of reverence, of ultimate respect and confidence. The Lakers are a finished product that somehow still has an upside.

Meanwhile, the Kings are attempting to find their way with games such as the Lakers contest serving as monitoring levels. Sacramento’s leader on the floor is 21-year-old second-year guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans couldn’t stay on the floor against the Lakers and much of it was his own doing. He picked up his third foul with 1:08 left in the first half while defending Bryant’s shot attempt.

Evans’ fourth foul came with 8:42 left in the third quarter. He was caught reaching 20 feet from the basket as Bryant attempted to catch a pass. He was replaced 34 seconds later and sat the rest of the third.

It was no coincidence the Lakers quickly raced to an 82-62 lead as the Kings offense went ka-put.

Kings coach Paul Westphal didn’t mention Evans by name, but it was apparent the guard’s absence during the third quarter’s final minutes was a crucial factor.

“I thought it was an offensive breakdown in the third quarter,” the coach said. “I thought we were missing a lot of shots in the third quarter and let them get out. They’re too good of a team to let them get (into) transition and just miss, miss, miss over and over.”

Westphal knows how much the Kings (3-2) collectively have to improve to even approach the neighborhood in which the Lakers reside.

“The Lakers don’t even know who we are right now,” he said. “We would like to build a rivalry with the best team in the world, but to answer that question as if there’s a rivalry, that’d be an insult to them.

“We’ve got to win some games before there’s a rivalry. They are where we want to be.”

Game 5 winner won't necessarily win NBA Finals

The winner of Game Five of the best-of-seven NBA Finals obviously will have two games remaining in which one victory makes it the 2010 champion.

However, a Game Five victory will be no guarantee of a series victory.

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly would gain a huge advantage with a victory and then returning home for Game Six and Seven, if necessary.

The Boston Celtics, armed with a 3-2 lead, would need just one victory in either of those two game in L.A., to win their second title in three seasons.

Yet, I believe it would not be impossible nor totally implausible for either team to win both games in Los Angeles, regardless of the situation. It's more inconceivable to believe people doubt the ability of either team to win a game.

Ultimately, when Game Six arrives, that singularly becomes the focus. There will be only the need to win that game and then it's a Game Seven for all the marbles.

Unquestionably, the Lakers would be glad to play that one at Staples Center, but there's no way the veteran Boston Celtics would fail to relish the opportunity to win that game on the road.

The defensively-oriented flavor both teams utilize almost promise close games that will be won in the final five minutes. That's the way it has been in six games, including two regular-season contests.

Which team can get the most solid performances from the most players? That's what will determine the outcome Sunday, Tuesday and possibly Thursday, if necessary.

If Glen (Big Baby) Davis, Nate Robinson and Tony Allen perform their roles to support the starters, the Celtics will be tough to beat. Conversely, should Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown chime in with timely contributions, that makes the Lakers a formidable opponent as well.

In that scenario, we've got a sweet game ahead.

Consider: Ray Allen has made eight three-point field-goals, each in Game Two. He's zero-for-14 in the other three games.

What if Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace each receive a technical and are suspended for the next game for receiving seven during the playoffs?

If the league is going to put those restraints on players, shouldn't a player with seven technicals during the playoffs immediately have to go sit down and then miss the next game? If the NBA is going to penalize, why wait until the next game?

For the record, if you can't play 28 games without getting seven technicals, you deserve some penalty.

Who is going to win Game Five? I have no idea and that's the way it should be.

Around the world in a boat alone? Why?

Call me a nut, but if you are 16 or 17 years old, shouldn't you have better things to do than try to sail alone around the world?

It's great Abby Sunderland was picked up safely Saturday by a French fishing vessel, but what the heck was she doing out there alone anyhow?

It doesn't seem as if sailing around the world with one or even two other people would be less of an achievement. I do understand her brother, Zac, also sailed around the world before her.

Then again, my idea of sailing is on the Circle Line around Manhattan or from Manhattan to Staten Island.

Wishing people would make up their minds

It's clear the sports world is made up of critics.

It takes a critic to know a critic.

However, perhaps we need to recognize there are good critics and then there are the other approximate 85 percent of them.

OK, I just threw out that number. It could be 75 percent or it could be 95 percent. That's what makes it an approximation.

What brought that to mind was hearing folks criticizing Boston's Glen (Big Baby) Davis and Nate Robinson's activities in Game Four of the NBA Finals.

Robinson jumped on Davis' back in celebration following the big boy's conversion of a put-back basket. Davis screamed and drooled simultaneously as he helped lead the Celtics into a 2-2 tie of the best-of-seven.

Robinson, a former defensive back at the University of Washington, basically had his legs taken out from him by Lakers' forward Lamar Odom as he attempted to trap a high pick-and-roll. Robinson, 5-foot-9 on a good day, got off the court and got into Odom's chest.

What the always feisty Robinson said, I have no idea. I do know referee Greg Willard immediately whistled him for a technical foul. Now this is the same Willard, who should have had to pay his way in to see the game or at least watch it on television.

The same guy who called a three-second violation on Kevin Garnett with four seconds elapsed on the 24-second clock. The same guy whom I believe has gotten more and more attitude as the years have passed.

Willard may have heard the words coming out of Robinson's mouth and those justified a taunting technical. However, after basically being tripped by a dude a foot taller during a heated contest for the NBA championship, as one of those little dudes, I can understand Robinson being hot and having a little something, something to say.

Commentators say he's got to stay under control just after they say, "a guy coming off the bench has to bring the intensity and energy."

C'mon! Make up your mind. Yes, both can be accomplished, but we're talking about two young players attempting to make their respective marks in the game.

Davis' power and strength come with his intensity. This is the same guy who took an elbow on the jaw from Orlando's Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals, went down and then scrambled to his feet and staggered down court to get back into the play.

That effort alone should be enough to overlook a couple of primal screams and/or flex positions when they accompany superior and potentially series-saving plays.

Other critics say these Finals have too much defense. Not I.

Other some of the ridiculous officials calls, this has been a strong series. Two teams playing their hearts out battling to the end.

Sometimes it's difficult to figure what critics want. Defense win championships, so they say. Now, we have teams generally playing lockdown defense and resultant offensive woes draw complaints.

C'mon! Make up your minds.

World cup only has one way to go

One day and 180 minutes worth of viewing into the 2010 World Cup and I need more.

Two combined goals from four teams. Each team put three shots on goal.

Now, I'm not new to soccer.

I'm old enough to have covered Pele (Brazil's Michael Jordan) and Giorgio Chinaglia (an Italian star) when they were with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

My favorite player was Pato Margetic, an Argentine star who did such amazing things with the ball he reminded me of soccer's Earl Monroe. The boy was sweet.

Granted, my expectations are high because these players were some of soccer's all-time greats.

The teamwork utilized in soccer often times is so subtle, a relative novice as myself doesn't see the entire scenario until the deed is done. It truly can be beautiful.

However, can a brother get a couple of scores.