The procedure to terminate Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Clippers has produced a number of amusing ironies. When the 30 NBA team executives vote on June 3, Sterling cannot vote. Even though he still owns the team, he has been banned for life under NBA bylaws. The league has appointed Dick Parsons, who once was chairman of Time-Warner, to run the Clippers. So how do you think Parsons will vote? That means Sterling’s banishment from the league will likely be by a
(READERS: Jan Hubbard suggested this morning that the staff make lottery predictions. And while I am comfortable myself predicting a Nuggets win with the Knicks’ combination of numbers, it is truly a guessing game. So you have my guess, and here is Hubbard’s — in a column originally published Jan. 11-CS) While Laker haters throughout the NBA are able to enjoy the struggles of one of the two most successful franchises in the league, they perhaps have overlooked the irony of
In what surely would be a failed attempt at objectivity, I searched the Internet to see if there was any way I could give Donald Sterling the benefit of the doubt. I have to admit I was giggling at the premise. Sterling has a long and glorious history of idiocy, so any attempt to paint him as a party wronged in his current racist controversy — or, in fact, any of his controversies — would be spectacularly futile. But miracle of miracles,
One of my favorite factoids involving NBA awards goes back to the ’50s and ’60s when the two premier legends in the history of pro basketball were dominating the game. Wilt Chamberlain was a mythical character – a combination of Paul Bunyan, Jack in the Beanstalk and the Incredible Hulk. Bill Russell was the ultimate winner — 11 championships in 13 seasons. Yes, I believe Michael Jordan is the best player ever, but Wilt and Russell were bigger than life and their legend
While Laker haters throughout the NBA are able to enjoy the struggles of one of the two most successful franchises in the league, they perhaps have overlooked the irony of the Lakers’ misfortune. It seems quite evident what is going to happen. The Lakers are not going to make the playoffs and will be in the draft lottery. Regardless of how few chances they have in the lottery, they’re going to win it. And Andrew Wiggins is going to be a Laker. Book
When the season was at hand, a number of distinguished correspondents on this site and many others offered predictions that ranged from serious to absurd. Preseason predictions are a little like Donald Sterling utterances – they’re made to be forgotten. But one I would have remembered if anyone had ventured it was this: After the month of December, Jeff Hornacek will be named Coach of the Month. Now that would have been impressive, particularly since the only handicapping involving the Phoenix Suns was their
A little more than a month has passed in the NBA season, but it seems like we’ve already had a full year of distractions, both good and bad. Portland great; Indiana even better. The Knicks and Nets taking turns who’s bad and who’s worse. Kobe close to returning; Rose out for the year. Dwayne Wade hurting; the Atlantic Division hurting even more. Meanwhile, the last team other than the Miami Heat to win a championship is quietly turning into a solid
LOS ANGELES – Arriving in at LAX for Thanksgiving proved to be entertaining as usual. Kobe Bryant signed his two-year, $48.5 million extension Monday morning, so by the time my plane touched down late Tuesday, the irrational debate and cheap analysis was kicking into a higher gear among Lakers Nation. This group is one of my favorites because its members live in a self-contained universe where there are only two types of humans – those who are Lakers and those who