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?

Webber still hoping to help Kings stay in Sacramento

Sources indicate former Kings all-star forward Chris Webber was seen in Las Vegas talking with members of the Maloof family Saturday afternoon.

Webber did not return a phone call this weekend.

Amidst the madness and uncertainty of the Maloofs attempted Kings’ relocation to Anaheim, a meeting between Webber and family members could mean nothing, something or everything.

Webber, now a TNT NBA commentator, last week surprised many with statements regarding his desire and attempts to assist the efforts to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

Sources within the past month told Marty Mac’s World Webber had been working with a group that wanted to buy the Kings from the Maloofs.

However, the Maloofs steadfastly have insisted the franchise is not for sale. Webber’s group was unable to get a meeting with the Maloofs.

Clearly, there are more questions than answers regarding the attempted relocation. Following last week’s two-day NBA Board of Governors meeting Commissioner David Stern said the Kings deal had changed during the past few days.

That’s why the league granted the Maloofs another extension – this time May 2 – to apply for the move to Anaheim.

The NBA wants more information from the Anaheim group pursuing the Kings franchise as well from the Maloofs.

Commissioner David Stern said NBA owners have an incomplete understanding of the deal. That means the owners, who ultimately must give their majority blessing to the move, have the same understanding as you and I.

Stern indicated the league’s relocation group needed more information about potential TV revenue, any necessary upgrades to the Honda Center arena and relocation costs.

We all know the Maloofs want to move the franchise to Anaheim. We assume they believe this move will reap increased financial benefits. The common belief is the Maloofs expect a great increase from a new TV contract in a larger market.

The Maloofs have not spoken publicly about their business financial condition. If they indeed are struggling, any information of desperation only lessens any leverage they believe they possess.

Reports during the past year have suggested they are in danger of losing control of the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

They have denied the accuracy of those reports.

More indicative of their financial peril was the sale of their family-owned beer distributorship last year. Not only was it the foundation of their business portfolio, it was a prized possession because of ties to their father and grandfather.

Moreover, if anyone owns a beer distributorship in America, why the heck would you sell it unless somehow pressured to make that move. Even in times of depression, beer consumers find a way to get their suds.

I’ve been telling folks for months that no one truly knows the specifics of this deal. That’s because as big-time deals are concerned, this one is being thrown together.

There have been people talking two months ago about how it was a done deal the Kings were leaving. Here we are in the middle of April and that remains an uncertainty.

Bobby Jackson not only played with heart, but has it, too

Few situations ever will touch us as deeply as the loss of a parent.

Former NBA guard Bobby Jackson watched his mom, Sarah, succumb to cancer in 2003 and since has attacked the disease as if it were a retreating defense.

As a player, Jackson was known for his desire to accept a challenge and he did so again Monday while hosting the Bobby Jackson Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament at the plush Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln, Ca.

The tournament was designed to provide financial support for Camp Kesem, a free overnight summer camp for children ages 6-13 and teens 14-16 of all races, religions, nationalities and financial status with a parent who had or has had cancer.

"My mom passed away seven years and I didn't have anyone to lean on while she was going through it," Jackson said as he sat in a golf cart at Hole 2. "So that's something I can relate to, especially for kids.

"Seeing what cancer did to my mom helps make it a passion that is related to almost everything I do. I just want to give back because I've been blessed and you know it's more difficult for kids to understand when a parent goes through something like that."

Jackson's words rang true after having my father die from cancer at age 53. As I think back, the final weeks of my pops life were more of a daze than anything else. Perspective was gained in retrospection.

However, any help provided to those, particularly children, dealing with cancer at any level only can be lauded.

Jackson's efforts received support from 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans; former Sacramento Kings Mitch Richmond, Scot Pollard and Matt Barnes (now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers); former N.Y. Jets', Minnesota Vikings' and Jacksonville Jaquars' wide receiver Matthew Hatchette; and entertainers Petri Byrd (the bailiff/comedian from TV's 'Judge Judy Show, and Christopher Martin and Christopher Reid (aka Kid n Play or shall I say, Play n Kid), actor Tyrin Turner (Menace to Society) and filmmaker Deon Taylor.

Some played golf. Some didn't play. Some played and still didn't play, if you feel me .

Said Byrd, "I got a call and specifically was asked not to golf. So I tried to adhere to the request."

Byrd instead conducted an all-day comedy corner near the clubhouse. "I saw one guy hit a buzzard-leg right. Can't kill nothing and nothing won't die."

"I hit two of my best balls earlier - I stepped on a rake."

Byrd performs an accomplished impersonation of late actor/entertainer Bernie Mac. And while Bird and Kid n Play sat near the clubhouse, I was pleased and pleasured to sit with these cats.

Most of the time, it was four brothers from different parts of New York, me and Kid n Play who grew up in Queens and Bird the Brooklyn outsider discussing everything under the sun with the foreground of some California hills.

Who'd a thunk it?

Moreover, how the heck did this occur? Imagine the twists and turns in each individual's lives that put us in that situation. That's what made it sweeter than sweet. Christopher Martin now teaches Hip Hop History at North Carolina Central University.

For me the sports nut, I think of NCCU and the Penn Relays when quarter-miler Larry Black turned out the '72 event that Phillip Atwell and I rode Amtrak down to see. So from Larry Black to Play, it's all good.

And it took me five minutes to recognize that Kid was Kid. The high-top has so faded, but the wit and flavor brought me back with quickness.

Life and time separated Kid n Play for a while, but it was great to see the pair together again. They've reunited and performed at the Jamie Foxx Comedy Show in Sacramento the night before and hung out to support Jackson's efforts at the tournament.

It was a day in which groups of athletes and entertainers belied the overwhelming accepted reputations of selfishness and mindlessness that run rampant throughout our society. The effort was sparked and originated by Jackson, who showed most of all, it was not all about him.

As for this golf thing, it's obvious I don't get it. Even during a celebrity tournament in which scores really don't mean a thing, it seemed as if there might have been a little fudging on the scores.

And what kind of sport is this thing when a ball-striker needs absolute silence to do his thing. It's interesting to see athletes, many of whom are not true golfers, put themselves in uncomfortable situations to offer support. Believe me, some of those swings were uncomfortable.

However, none of them were as comfortable as I was after continually bumping into the Hole 11 and the accompanying margaritas. Comfort eventually turned into discomfort as the heat and non-tequila flavored lemonade turned my legs into brown jello shots.

Luckily, my man Chris, who drove me around all day in a golf cart, recognized the weebles- wobble-but-they-don't-fall-down circumstances and helped me to air conditioning and an ice-soaked towel in the club's admin building.

Being a guy who drinks water, well, like water, hearing from EMT's that I likely was dehydrated sounded funny. However, I learned margaritas are no substitute for water.

So thanks to the folks who stepped in to assist as well as the many who came to check on a brother.

On the news side, Barnes said reports that he'd last week slapped a coach during a San Francisco Summer Pro League were erroneous.

That was good to hear. Certainly, summer league games aren't that serious. I've known Barnes, who hosted his own charity golf tournament two weekends ago, for close to ten years now and I only hoped he didn't put himself into a situation where a law suit soon was to follow.

An NBA spokesman recently said the powers-that-be were waiting to receive the official paperwork regarding Evans' Memorial Day Speed Racer episode. Evans likely is to receive at least a one-game suspension, it says here.

James polarizes himself

No one need ever, ever, ever again compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan.

With James' decision to leave Cleveland to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, basically that was his request.

James may have made the move to put himself in the best position to win, but in the deepest regions of your imagination can you envision Jordan making a move like this?

Hail no!

Forget that King stuff as well. Kings don't follow, they lead.

Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert's comments about James quitting in Games 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston truly don't sum up the abandonment of the 25-year-old.

James quit on Cleveland - on Akron- and on Ohio.

It's not like the Cavaliers were a terrible team and an organization that didn't make moves to try and provide a supporting cast for James.

No doubt Gilbert's open checkbook the past few years was at least part of the genesis of his post-James departure rant.

What we don't know now are the conversations James and Gilbert have had.

We do know if there have been covers for James' actions and behavior over the years, Gilbert has been the man with the huge umbrella.

So for him to go off like a spurned lover is a bit ridiculous.

Gilbert verbally busted out the windows on James' Bentley and his Range Rover. The owner tried to spit in James' face.

And there is more. I say there is no way we've heard the last from Gilbert, either directly out of his mouth or dropped Watergate style.

It also has to be a must that Commissioner David Stern comes down historically hard upon Gilbert.

No owner ever has been more disrespectful and venomous as was Gilbert with comments regarding a player.

Now, Gilbert has heard stances and requests from James of which neither the public nor the media are privy.

However, it's difficult to imagine it won't be long before the curtain is pulled back.

It still seems imaginable Gilbert burned a No. 23 jersey or two himself last night. Gilbert might retire the jersey when the Heat comes to Cleveland for the first time.

Gilbert made a larger fool of himself than any fan could achieve by 'personally guaranteeing the Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'King' wins one.'

What, is Gilbert have James assassinated on the NBA Finals court during a game? Is Gilbert going to go Tonya Harding on the 'former King?'

I sure wish I hadn't misplaced former Cleveland coach Mike Brown's number because it would have been great to hear his reaction shortly following the announcement.

Moreover, for James to say, winning a championship in Cleveland wouldn't be sweeter than winning one in Miami, may have been the biggest snub possible.

The kid's ego was so evident when he spoke about how 'He' had brought so much to the franchise and 'He' had taken the organization places it had never before been.

Last I checked, James had a myriad of teammates supporting the efforts. Yet, only once do I recall him referring to teammates while mentioning achievements.

No matter what moves the Heat makes before the 2010-11 season begins, they will have to deal with Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago just to get out of the Eastern Conference.

And James certified, he'll either be hated or loved. Middle ground has been eradicated.

All Elie has done is win

Sacramento Kings assistant coach Mario Elie's name is not among the leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to NBA coaching candidates.

But it should be right there.

Elie can bring three rings to any potential interview with a team trying to win a title. Elie played an integral role in Houston winning two rings and one more in San Antonio. So he's seen how it's done and then helped do it.

Elie was an 11-year NBA player after being drafted in the seventh round (the 160th overall pick) by the Milwaukee Bucks out of American International College - a Division II school in Springfield, Mass. He played in Portugal, Argentina, Ireland as well as the USBL, WBL and the CBA before a 10-day contract with Philadelphia in 1990 led to deals with Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix.

He speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French and has been an assistant under San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Dallas' Avery Johnson and Rick Carlisle.

Elie never has been a head coach, but he's had every other experience one can bring to the table.

What he also brings leadership, toughness and the respect of players - qualities that are irreplaceable for a successful coach.

It'll take a strong, independently-thinking general manager to hire Elie, especially for a team with legitimate title aspirations, with nay-sayers ready to pounce.

The good thing for Elie is hasn't had to take a job with a bad team. The bad thing is he's not even spoken about as being a candidate. He has interviewed with Charlotte and Sacramento.

However, at some point, a team will show the intelligence and the stones to recognize Elie is a hidden gem waiting to be plucked.

Some one had to give Popovich, Byron Scott, Carlisle and Johnson, among many others, a chance to be a head coach. Many of the league's head coaches had never run the show before getting their NBA shot.

It's time for front-office intelligence to take over. However, now we'll see how long that takes to occur.

By the way, Utah's assistant Tyrone Corbin and Houston's assistant Elston Turner also fit smoothly into this category.

As an aside, after watching Mike Brown get jettisoned in Cleveland Sunday after back-to-back 60-win seasons, there are more secure gigs to be sought, for sure.

NBA Finals matchup

If the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics meet in the NBA championship series, the Lakers will go from dominating the questionable defense of the Phoenix Suns to the superior defense of the Celtics.

There may not be a bigger gap in the playoffs than going from the Suns defense to the Celtics'.

Yo, LeBron, Wake Up!

Derryl Zimmerman, one of my former roommates, of which there have been many, makes this salient point.

LeBron James said next season he was changing his number from 23 to 6 out of respect for Michael Jordan, the almost universally acknowledged 'greatest player' ever.

So James picked No. 6 - the same number worn by Bill Russell, the greatest winner, perhaps in the history of professional sports.

History, my brother, history.

Seven lost teeth

Chicago Black Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith lost an amazing seven teeth Sunday against the San Jose Sharks when he was struck in the mouth by a puck.

Keith returned later in the game to play more minutes than anyone on either team.

That kind of gives a description of 'toughness' new meaning, doesn't it?

And I wasn't thinking, crazy, nutty or insane, though those also came quickly to mind.

Projections are key to drafting

The madness preceding the National Football League and National Basketball Association drafts is a unmitigated sickness with which we'll just likely will have to deal.

The conversations about the talents of potential draftees is cool. However, anyone who even hints of knowing, on May 24, which players will be selected when and by whom on June 24 is fooling themselves.

OK, I might bet a couple of pennies that Washington will use the draft's No. 1 choice overall on Kentucky's John Wall. After that, forget it. There are too many unknowns (i.e., trades, workout impressions, behavior, off-the-wall selections) the day before the draft, much less a month prior, to have a true clue.

Yet, here's what makes draft success such a difficult assignment. It's not what you are looking at now, but what you foresee in the future.

It's tricky enough to judge how good players are now, especially after seeing some of them for just one collegiate season, much less how good they'll be four years from now.

Talk about unknowns! If you have any kids, this needs no explanation. If you don't, look back at your life five years ago and remember what you projected for your life today.

If I ever were given the opportunity to make one of those draft calls, I'd be looking for an obvious advantage. Some players will be Paul Bunyan strong. Some will be Usain Bolt speedy. Some will be Tyreke Evans big and strong. Another will be Chris Paul-Rajon Rondo quick. There has to be some attribute that makes a player stand out. Some can have Stephen Curry-ridiculous, lights-out shooting ability. And Curry also has other crazy skills.

Speaking of unknowns, how many of us believed following Cleveland's blowout victory in Boston in Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinal series, LeBron James would appear to have one foot out of Ohio? And Mike Brown would have both feet removed from the Cavaliers leadership by owner Dan Gilbert.

Brown won 127 games during the past two regular seasons and was fired Sunday night. Granted, the Cavs did not get to the NBA Finals, much less win the title.

Brown was a victim of expectations he helped create with the regular-season success. Couple that with James' impending free-agency and running into a Boston Celtics squad playing at an incredible and heretofore unforeseen level, Brown was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And remember, Brown was the 2008-09 NBA Coach of the Year.

Clearly, Brown's offensive approach left much to be desired and why he kicked J.J. Hickson's athletic butt to the curb, I do not know. But that seems like a lot of success only for a guy to get canned. That's the frigid way of the pro sports world.

Moreover, how does Cleveland land a coach - especially one with other options - without knowing if James will return. That might be an influential factor, most would say.

While on the coaching carousel, it was the 2006-2007 season in which the Boston Celtics and coach Doc Rivers fashioned a 24-58 record.

Way back then, there were many Boston fans and journalists who believed Rivers was incapable of leading the Celtics back to glory. They wanted Rivers fired and if General Manager Danny Ainge could get a ticket on the bus out of time, so be it.

The Celtics spent the 2007-08 season winning the NBA title and I wouldn't bet against them winning the 2009-2010 championship. Not after the defense they've played during these playoffs. They could be arrested for what they've done to Cleveland and now are doing to Orlando.

This squad, under the guidance of the coach many wanted fired, have been the epitome of the word, 'team.'

My pick of two conference final sweeps went down the drain Sunday night when Amare Stoudamire showed his wares and the Lakers suddenly couldn't handle Phoenix's zone in Game Three of the West finals. L.A leads, 2-1, going into Tuesday night's Game Four.

I still like the Lakers to win the series and advance to an NBA Finals collision with the Celtics.