OK, we know the first decade of the 21st century doesn’t
really end until 2011. We think. But we also know there have been 10 full NBA
seasons played since the phrase "Y2K" was on all of our lips
(1999-2000), and here at Ball Don’t Lie we’ve decided to use this as an
offseason excuse to rank some of the best and not-so-brightest of the 10
campaigns in question. The result? Why, top 10 lists!

The
criteria here is simple. Anyone who loses their dang mind, gets a vote.

Anyone
who decides to hold a candle to their frontal lobe, melting into ooze what once
housed sound thinking and practical application of said sound thinking,
warrants consideration for this list.

10. Media members
vote Steve Nash(notes) for MVP, again

When logic and reason melt down, into something else
entirely; the underdog usually gets the award.

Award voters usually prefer slim amounts of research and a
great story over less-intriguing and more-deserving players, and the 2005-06
MVP vote was a pretty strong example of that. Instead of recognizing any of the
substantial MVP candidates — Dwyane Wade(notes), LeBron James(notes), Kobe Bryant(notes), Dirk
Nowitzki(notes) and Elton Brand(notes) all had seasons that historically could be termed
"MVP caliber" — the voters handed Nash his second consecutive MVP based on …
well, we like him a lot.

Nash had a great year, and the great story behind him was
the fact that the Suns lost Joe Johnson(notes) (following a trade) and Amar’e
Stoudemire(notes) for just about the entire season (Stoudemire played three games),
and Phoenix still won 54 games. Forgetting, of course, that extended workloads
from Shawn Marion(notes) and Leandro Barbosa(notes) helped steady the ship, and the additions
of Eddie House(notes), Kurt Thomas(notes) and Boris Diaw(notes) all kept the Suns afloat. Somehow,
Nash got credit for all of this.

Then, and now, Nash is my favorite player in his conference. I absolutely love to watch him play. But come on. 

9. Nuggets and Knicks
slapfest

I taped a lot of games back in 2006-07, and a huge part of
me really wishes that I’d taped some of the cable sports news reaction to this
pathetic little fight. Armed with the ability to wring hands and tell us how
awful things were, desperate to fill up those 24 hours, the TV teleprompters
treated this brouhaha between the Knicks and Nuggets like it was assassination
coverage. The internet even allowed some scribes to
give it the "will-someone-please-think-of-the-children?"treatment. Good
god, get over yourselves.

The Knicks and Nuggets weren’t happy with each other. The
Knicks weren’t happy with anything, and the Nuggets were always out to prove they were tougher than they actually were back then. None of these guys
could truly fight, but with the Knicks smarting as the Nuggies rolled up the
score, a Mardy Collins(notes) flagrant foul and a whole lot of Napoleon-sized sniping
from Nate Robinson(notes) led to a whole lot of millionaires acting like they knew how
to throw a punch. Oh, and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas probably called for the
whole thing from the sidelines.

Somehow, the world managed to continue spinning in its
aftermath.

8. Allen Iverson(notes) on
practice, man

You’ll probably see the word "pathetic" quite a bit on this list. Rants like
this are the reason why.

Don’t try to get into the logic behind this one. Allen
Iverson missed or was late to a ton of practices during the 2001-02 season, and
he just couldn’t understand why this was a problem. After all, he tried real
hard for those 41 minutes a game during the 65 games (regular season and
playoffs combined) he played that season, isn’t that (Iverson made $11.25
million that year) enough?

Toss in a needless, schoolyard-type mocking of a writer’s
full given name (calling Philadelphia Daily News scribe Phil Jasner "Philip,"
as if it were some sort of actual, effective, insult), the grade school-level
baseball cap and jersey attire, and the ridiculous notion that dogged effort in
one in every three days during the regular season is good enough, and you have
one of the more pathetic character revelations of the last decade.

7. Rasheed Wallace(notes)
throws a towel at Arvydas Sabonis

The last line of the Iverson description fits with this one.

On national TV, after submarining Portland’s season with
huffy play and infrequent trips to the low post, Rasheed Walllace (who
registered a shocking 40 technical fouls in 77 games in 2000-01) decided to
throw a towel at Arvydas Sabonis during a timeout of a late regular-season game
against the Los Angeles Lakers. Sabonis’ transgression? He accidently hit
Wallace in the face while spiraling backwards after being barreled into by
Shaquille O’Neal(notes).

6. Marcus Camby(notes)
punches-ish Danny Ferry

Sabonis’ type of transgression, just about, spurred this
nonsense. Ferry caught Marcus Camby with an inadvertent elbow - I was watching
the game, it was an accident - precious Marcus took offense, charged after
Ferry and attempted to throw a "punch" that started somewhere below his waist.
With his strong hand. Someone hook this guy up with Bert Sugar.

Of course, because Camby’s truly tough, Ferry’s back was
turned completely to him as he attempted the sucker punch to the back of
Ferry’s head. And, because Jeff Van Gundy (poor rotation choices aside) likes
having his best players on the floor, he attempted to stop Camby from throwing
the wild punch, and caught the worst of it. So did Selena Roberts, then a
Knicks beat writer, who took the brunt of a dislodged media row when Camby
kicked it. Because that’s what 26-year-olds do. They kick things.

All of this happened on Martin Luther King Day, by the way.

5. Ha Seung Jin vs.
Nedzad Sinanovic

Never heard of either of these men? I don’t blame you.

Ha Seung Jin (above, yelling) and Sinanovic (below, posting)
were both Trail Blazers prospects hoping to catch on as lanky reserves trying to
make a poor Portland
team back in 2005. The former actually played 46 NBA games, poorly, over two
years, registering nearly as many turnovers (26) as field goals (28).
Sinanovic? Not so much.

The pair, however, is best known for a summertime battle
that saw both men (neither of which had what you could call a "strong" grasp of
the English language) jaw and yell and threaten each other following a
one-on-one game gone horribly wrong at the Blazers’ practice facility. At one point, the Portland golden boy (Ha Seung Jin) decided to chase Sinanovic around the court with some sort of stick, or stick-inspired device.

John
Canzano originally passed the story along in an interview, and we strong
suggest you go read his engaging take
on what had to be an epic show of awful; both in terms of the play and the pugilism.

4. Shaquille O’Neal
vs. Brad Miller(notes)

This was back in 2001-02, when Miller was a Chicago Bull,
and a few months before the above picture was taken. And, as fights go, this
was a little scary. Because as wild as Shaquille O’Neal’s punch was, he still
could have basically warped Miller’s mind for decades had it connected.

I couldn’t find a clip of the fight online, but the back
story as I remember it (watched it as it happened, but not in person) was that
Miller had been frustrating O’Neal all night with physical play. As is usually
the case with these fits of anger (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Kent Benson,
anyone?), Shaq felt like he wasn’t getting any calls while being roughed up, an
underdog Bulls team was beating the defending champion Lakers, Miller fouled
Shaq one time too many, and O’Neal responded with a roundhouse that (luckily,
for Miller) roundly missed.

3. Darko Milicic(notes) goes
off

You’re going to have to follow a link to this, with
the warning that the audio involved is extremely not safe for work if you speak
Serbian, and the English subtitles are not intended for use by children 13 and
under. Or 23 and under. In fact, maybe everyone should just go take a nap,
instead.

During Eurobasket 2007 Greece won a hotly contested overtime
match against Milicic’s Serbian team by one point, and it’s safe to say that
Darko (pictured, above, not cursing) was less than thrilled with the work of
that particular game’s referees. Here’s the link again to
his post-game meltdown in front of the assembled media, please be warned.

2. Chris Mills
challenges several Trail Blazers to a fight

You don’t hear about this one too often, because the details
behind the interaction between Chris Mills and (possibly) the entire Portland
Trail Blazer roster are a bit sketchy.

Here’s what we do know. During a Dec. 20,
2002, match between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors,
Chris Mills took great offense to the physical play of Bonzi Wells(notes). The entire Golden State
crowd, actually, took the same offense to the entire Blazer team, showering
Rasheed Wallace (who had to be restrained from going into the stands to fight)
with garbage and insults after he hit a game-winner and tried to leave the
court.

For Mills, the work of his hometown supporters wasn’t
enough. He tried to get into the Blazers locker room after the game to have a
go at Wells. After being denied access, Mills and some friends decided to park
Mills’ SUV in front of Portland’s team bus, refusing it access to the outside
of the arena, with Mills standing outside the bus shouting at the team,
spoiling for a fight.

That much we do know, because Mills was suspended for his
conduct a few days later. What we don’t know is whether or not Mills may have
been armed, as some have suggested, or whether or not he followed the Trail
Blazers’ bus to the airport before turning away.

1. The melee in Auburn
Hills

Blanket statements work here. Everyone was wrong.

Ron Artest(notes) was a little wronger than most, there’s no doubt
about that, but there’s no point in stopping there. That night’s referees; who
let the game get out of control initially? Wrong. Ben Wallace’s(notes) reaction to
Artest’s hard foul? Wrong. Pacers teammates who didn’t drag Artest off the
scorer’s table? Wrong. Pistons fans? Wrong. Ron Artest? Way wrong. Assorted
Pistons and (mostly) Pacers? Wrong.

Everyone got it wrong. An embarrassment to anyone boasting
more than half a brain.

Questions? Comments? Furious and righteous anger at a
world, not to mention top 10 list, gone wrong? Swing by later today at about 2
p.m. Eastern for a BDL mini-chat
regarding this very list.

Other popular Yahoo! Sports blog posts:
• Former NFL star plans to fight MMA

• Photo: Yankees’ rookies have to wear superhero costumes

• T.O. disses Romo, or did he? You be the judge

Read full article…

Each weekday morning, Ball Don’t Lie serves up a handful of NBA-related
stories to digest with your turkey bacon club.

Ryan Lucas, AP: "Pau Gasol had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead world champion Spain to a 85-63 win over Serbia in the final of the European basketball championship Sunday. The victory gave Spain its first European title after six runner-up finishes, including a one-point loss two years ago to Russia in front of its home crowd. The Spaniards dominated from the start at both ends of the court, playing pressure man-to-man defense and getting out on the break for easy baskets to take a 15-point first quarter lead. Serbia never recovered. [...] ‘It was a great game, and obviously we won the final that we lost twice before this year, so I’m extremely happy and it’s an unforgettable day for us,’ Gasol said. ‘We just worked so hard to win this championship and I’m just super proud of my teammates.’ Guard Rudy Fernandez(notes) chipped in with 13 points for Spain, while Uros Tripkovic led Serbia with 15 points."

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"Heat forward Michael Beasley(notes) returned Sunday to South Florida after
his release from a Houston substance-abuse center earlier in the day.
Beasley, who was moved into an inpatient facility last month after
violating his NBA-imposed substance-abuse program, is expected to work
out with teammates Monday morning at AmericanAirlines Arena. Beasley
was allowed to work with Heat coaches and trainers during his inpatient
treatment in Houston, but Monday will mark the first time in more than
a month that he will work with teammates."

Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer: "There’s no doubt that Delonte West(notes) was in the wrong for speeding on a motorcycle with three loaded guns when he was pulled over by police in suburban Washington D.C. Thursday night. After that, though, not much is cut and dry. The last 12 months have been a constant and complex balancing act for West and the Cavaliers, who dearly love their hard-nosed guard’s personality and ability. What to do about this latest situation might prove the most dicey. Though they would never talk about these issues publicly and discuss it very little privately, it has been a challenge for the team on how to handle West. Last August, West was charged with marijuana possession in Prince George’s County, Md., while he was a restricted free agent and the Cavs were in a contract stalemate with him. [...] During a training camp practice last season West exploded at a referee and then teammates and coaches who tried to break it up. [...] Shortly after that, West left the team to get treatment for a mood disorder that he said he’s battled his whole life."

Bob Finnan, The News-Herald: "Not only will [Delonte] West likely face suspension from the NBA, it’s possible he’ll have to do jail time. Police seized his guns and his three-wheeled motorcycle. He was released from jail early Friday on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 20. The Cavs are playing in Indiana that night. Timberwolves guard Sebastian Telfair(notes) was suspended for three games for having a loaded gun in his possession. Don’t be shocked if West is not eligible to play for several games this season. Could his possible suspension be as long as 10 games? Are you glad the Cavs signed Anthony Parker(notes) now?"

Tom Knott, The Washington Times: "David Stern is playing tough with the NBA referees. You could argue it is long past time. The lack of consistent officiating in the NBA is the dynamic that never goes away. It is the dynamic that drives coaches, players and fans ballistic. Maybe now, finally, Stern wants to drive a stake through the heart of a union that let him and the NBA down in the Tim Donaghy scandal. It comes with a risk. As maddening as the officiating can be — and maddening is too soft a description whenever LeBron James(notes) is allowed to ‘crab-dribble’ his way to the basket — it promises to become even more infuriating with the replacement referees. These are the backups who ply their craft in the WNBA and NBA Development League, in venues where being out of position goes with the program. It is one thing to use replacement referees in the preseason. It will be another to dump them on a public that pays big dollars to attend an NBA game. That will cheapen a product that already has taken a hit in a struggling economy. That will cheapen a product that routinely fights the charge that its 82-game regular season lacks intensity and drama."

Julian Garcia, New York Daily News: "The Russian billionaire who is on the verge of funding the Nets’ long-awaited move to Brooklyn is a hard-partying bachelor who was arrested in 2007 on suspicion he was involved in an upscale prostitution ring. Mikhail Prokhorov, recently named the 40th wealthiest man in the world by Forbes, has an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion. And while Forbes estimates that the 43-year-old tycoon lost approximately 51% of his fortune in the last year, Prokhorov is still reportedly close to issuing a $700 million bond through his investment firm, Onexim, that would help Nets owner Bruce Ratner build the long-delayed Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. Prokhorov, who reportedly could also take over a majority stake in the team if a deal is reached, was arrested in January 2007 while on vacation at a French ski resort when police cracked down on a suspected prostitution ring. According to numerous reports at the time, Prokhorov told investigators that he flew beautiful women in from Russia because he enjoyed their company. However, investigators suspected that Prokhorov had supplied the women as prostitutes to his wealthy friends and kept the billionaire in custody for several days before releasing him and dropping the charges."

Mike Baldwin, The Oklahoman: "During visits with players in their hometowns this summer, taking trips ranging from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, [Scott] Brooks stressed improving defensively is his No. 1 priority. ‘That’s the one part we have to do is get consistent on the defensive end,’ said Jeff Green(notes). ‘Sometimes we were lackadaisical on the defensive end, myself included. If we get consistent at that, work well together as a team, with a training camp under our belt, that will help us a lot.’ But those are individual talks. Individual workouts. Everything ratchets up next week. A week from now the foundation for the 2009-10 season will be laid. Four weeks of training camp will be invaluable for a young team that still has much room to grow but much room to improve. The Thunder will be the youngest team in the league with one of the youngest head coaches."

Marc Spears, Yahoo! Sports: "Although the Golden State Warriors sent two second-round picks to the New Jersey Nets in order to delay giving up a first-rounder to New Jersey, that doesn’t mean Stephen Jackson(notes) is leaving the Bay Area anytime soon. The Warriors were able to push back the delivery of a previously traded, lottery-protected first-round pick one year to 2012, NBA sources told Yahoo! Sports. The pick had been sent to the Nets in July 2008 in exchange for guard Marcus Williams, who signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent this offseason. For agreeing to delay receiving the first-rounder from Golden State, the Nets will acquire two future second-round picks from the Warriors. The first-round pick originally was lottery protected in 2011. It now has lesser protection for 2012, though sources did not reveal in detail the exact level of protection. The move allows the Warriors more time and flexibility to package their 2011 first-round pick in a deal, if they so choose."

RealGM: "Antoine Walker has been in contact with four teams and expects to get a non-guaranteed deal prior to training camp. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated bumped into Walker while covering Saturday night’s Mayweather-Marquez fight in Las Vegas. ‘Just bumped into Antoine Walker(notes) at the MGM, says he is talking to four teams and plans on being in a camp on a non-guaranteed deal next week,’ Mannix wrote on his Twitter page."

Read full article…

This is not how you want to start a weekend …

Cavaliers guard Delonte West(notes) was arrested Thursday night for weapons possession.

Brian Windhorst of the Plain Dealer reports:

WUSA, a television station in Washington D.C., reported today that West was pulled over in Prince George’s County, MD., at 10 p.m. Thursday night for making an unsafe lane change on his motorcycle. The police say West had two handguns and a shotgun in his possession and he was arrested.

West was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 20.

Yes, you read that correctly. Delonte was somehow concealing two handguns and a shotgun while riding a freakin’ motorcycle. You can’t even do that in "Grand Theft Auto," can you? This does not sound good.

More info to come.

UPDATE: According to Matt Zapotosky at The Washington Post, Delonte was driving a three-wheeled motorcycle (like the one pictured right, I guess) when he cut off the Prince George’s County cop.

The officer pulled him over, and West told the officer that that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband.

That prompted the officer to call for back up, and investigators found that West was actually carrying three guns — a Beretta 9mm in his waistband, a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a shotgun in a guitar case slung over his back, said Maj. Andy Ellis, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Police Department.

As of now, it is still unclear where West was going or why in the world he was armed.

Read full article…

Trey Kerby of The Blowtorch searches high and low across the Internet for NBA-related goods you never knew you needed. You know, phenomenal swag. Email Ball Don’t Lie any relevant products you find here.

Michael Jordan would like to thank Troy from "Community" for inspiring him to make the most awesome $450 letterman jacket in the history of letterman jackets. Any time he sees Troy in that letterman jacket, he’s coming at him.

Ball Don’t Lie’s Swag Rating: Four Muggsy Bogues … 

via Hypebeast

Read full article…

If the tabloids are to be believed — and in my world, they always are — Lamar Odom(notes) moves a hell of a lot quicker with his women than he does contract extensions.

That’s right. Even though they’ve been dating, what, all of 13 days, insiders tell Ken Baker of E! News that the Lakers forward and reality TV "star" Khloe Kardashian are already "talking about rings" with plans to wed.

That sound you just heard? Oh, just a large fraction of the Lakers’ fan base crying themselves to sleep.

I’m sorry, stacked team or not, there is no way the Lakers repeat as champions next year if a Kardashian is involved. Look what happened to Reggie Bush after he started dating Khloe’s hotter sister Kim. Nothing. I’m telling you, a "Kardashian Kurse" is alive and well, my friends. Bruce Jenner knows what I’m talking about!

Anyway, back to the gossip at hand: Both Lamar and Khloe haven’t publicly addressed the rumor yet, so maybe it’s just that. Their representatives also declined to comment on the matter. Tricky buggers.

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I have to side with MediaTakeOut.com’s take on the report — the whole thing reeks of a publicity stunt.

According to MTO’s, um, "sources," Lamar is trying to promote his new clothing line — Rockin’ Rich Soil Clothing — while socialite Khloe is trying to save the ratings of her two E! reality shows — "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami." They’re a match made in business heaven.

Then again, before "dating" Lamar, Khloe was romantically linked to ex-Wolves guard Rashad McCants(notes), so maybe she’s just trying to lock up a NBA’er before the league’s lowered salary cap hits. Sound move.

Cheers, Sports By Brooks. I think.

Read full article…